The events of the town of Salem as shown in The Crucible cannot be blamed on just a single person. Many in the community are responsible for putting these actions in motion and allowing them to gain momentum. In fact, the structure of the community itself is at least partially to blame. Still, among those most responsible, Thomas Putnam is a significant figure.
To better understand the impact and reasons behind Putnam's actions in the play, it is important to understand his place in the history of Salem. For this, I will use a long quote that the narrator gives when Putnam first takes the stage in Act 1, to announce that his daughter, Ruth, is sick, like the Parris's daughter Betty:
"A word about Thomas Putnam. He was a man with many grievances, at least one of which appears justified. Some time before, his wife's brother-in-law, James Bayley, had been turned down as minister of Salem. Bayley had all the qualifications, and a two-thirds vote into the bargain, but a faction stopped his acceptance, for reasons that are not clear.
Thomas Putnam was the eldest son of the richest man in the village. He had fought the Indians at Narragansett, and was deeply interested in parish affairs. He undoubtedly felt it poor payment that the village should so blatantly disregard his candidate for one of its more important offices, especially since he regarded himself as the intellectual superior of most of the people around him.
His vindictive nature was demonstrated long before the witch-craft began. Another former Salem minister, George Burroughs, had had to borrow money to pay for his wife's funeral, and, since the parish was remiss in his salary, he was soon bankrupt. Thomas and his brother John had Burroughs jailed for debts the man did not owe. The incident is important only in that Burroughs succeeded in becoming minister where Bayley, Thomas Putnam's brother-in-law, had been rejected; the motif of resentment is clear here. Thomas Putnam felt that his own name and the honor of his family had been smirched by the village, and he meant to right matters however he could.
Another reason to believe him a deeply embittered man was his attempt to break his father's will, which left a disproportionate amount to a stepbrother. As with every other public cause in which he tried to force his way, he failed in this. So it is not surprising to find that so many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam, or that his name is so often found as a witness corroborating the super-natural testimony, or that his daughter led the crying-out at the most opportune junctures of the trials, especially when - But we'll speak of that when we come to it" (pg 14-15)
A clear theme in the play is power disguised as religion and piety. Thomas Putnam was clearly practiced in wielding his power and getting what he wants. It's not surprising, then, that he would look to the witchcraft scare as a way to influence people and punish his enemies, nor is it surprising that others would bend to his power, influence, and threats.
In the play, after Putnam's arrival and the narrator's warning and exposition about him, Putnam works to persuade Reverend Parris to publicly declare the girls' sicknesses due to a demonic source:
"Putnam, to Parris: When Reverend Hale comes, you will proceed to look for signs of witchcraft here.
Proctor, to Putnam: You cannot command Mr. Parris. We vote by name in this society, not by acreage.
Putnam: I never heard you worried so on this society, Mr. Proctor. I do not think I saw you at Sabbath meeting since snow flew" (pg 28).
This is not the first time Putnam has made the request that Parris publicly declare the sicknesses witchcraft. Indeed, he is not requesting so much as he is demanding. When questioned, we see that he is unafraid to go after people's reputations to keep them in line.
Thomas Putnam's hand is clear again when Rebecca Nurse enters Betty Parris's sickroom and calms the child with her presence. The narrator steps in again to say:
"As we have seen, Thomas Putnam's man for the Salem ministry was Bayley. The Nurse clan had been in the faction that prevented Bayley's taking office... It was Edward and Jonathan Putnam who signed the first complaint against Rebecca; and Thomas Putnam's little daughter was the one who fell into a fit at the hearing and pointed to Rebecca as her attacker" (pg 26).
Clearly, Putnam has some history with the Nurse family as well. In looking to take revenge on the family for going against his choice for minister, he could sow the seeds for her guilt early on, by innocent actions. For example, when she sits quietly by the fitful Betty and Betty calms from her presence the Putnams react like this:
"Mrs. Putnam, astonished: What have you done?
[...]
Putnam, eagerly: Goody Nurse, will you go to my Ruth and see if you can wake her?" (pg 26-27)
Though this seems like the worried reactions of parents, the Putnams are also laying the groundwork of evidence to show that Rebecca Nurse has some sort of power over the bewitched children that other mortals don't. This is proven when they try to implicate her in later in the play.
Another piece of evidence of Putnam's desire to use the witchcraft scare to get revenge on his enemies is clear when he is the first one to suggest names. When the Reverend Hale is questioning Abigail and she defers him to the slave Tituba, Hale asks Tituba if she has seen the Devil with other witches. The other men jump in with questions to jog her memory:
"Hale: When the Devil comes to you does he ever come - with another person? She stares up into his face, Perhaps another person in the village? Someone you know.
Parris: Who came with him?
Putnam: Sarah Good? Did you ever see Sarah Good with him? Or Osburn?
Parris: Was it man or woman came with him?" (pg 45-46).
While the others seem to want to get to the actual answers, Putnam sees an opportunity to implicate someone he dislikes. When Tituba confirms the Devil arrived with Goody Good (Mrs. Sarah Good), Mrs. Putnam cried that she knew it, because her babies would always die when Sarah Good was her midwife. Clearly there is some bad blood between the Putnams and Sarah Good.
Finally, the Putnams show that resistance is futile and they have all the power when Giles Corey attempts to take them down in Act 2.
"Danforth: Mr. Putnam, I have here an accusation by Mr. Corey against you. He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacobs that is now in jail.
Putnam: It is a lie.
[...]Danforth: What proof do you submit for your charge, sir?
Giles: My proof is there! Pointing to the paper. If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property - that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the; coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!" (pg 96).
Unfortunately, this show of bravery does not work. When Corey refuses to name his source for fear of Putnam's vengeance, he is thrown in jail.
Clearly, Thomas Putnam takes advantage of the fear and mistrust caused by the witchcraft scare to take revenge on his neighbors and build on his wealth and power. That he does this all under the disguise of piety is one of the main points Arthur Miller wants to make about the dangers of the hive mind.
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