The lottery is a state-sponsored form of gambling in which numbers are drawn to determine winners. Most states and the District of Columbia have lotteries. Those who play the lottery often use strategies to increase their odds of winning. Despite this, the chances of winning are very low.

The word lottery is derived from the Dutch noun lot, meaning “fate.” It is also thought to be a calque on Middle French loterie, which may refer to the action of drawing lots. Lotteries are a common form of public funding, with proceeds typically used for social and economic development projects. In colonial America, lotteries raised money for canals, roads, bridges, libraries, schools, colleges, and churches. Benjamin Franklin even sponsored a lottery to fund cannons for Philadelphia’s defense during the American Revolution.

Jackson’s protagonist Tessie Hutchinson is an allusion to Anne Hutchinson, the Massachusetts religious dissenter whose Antinomian beliefs resulted in her excommunication from the Puritan hierarchy. Her appearance in the story suggests that there is some sort of spiritual rebellion bubbling among these women, especially as a result of their participation in this annual event.