Essay about American Jezebel: the Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson

Her beliefs contradicted what the government and other religious leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colonies had already established. She believed that God had already decided on which souls would be saved and which souls would not be. Anne’s beliefs deeply divided the community because it was a new way of thinking for not only women but men as well. She was making people question their hierarchy and this was all new to the people of Massachusetts Bay.

David D. Hall looks at the Examination Of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at the Court at Newton (1637). (Hall p 55) In his writing he talks about the Anne Hutchinson and her summons before A council of leading Ministers and magistrates of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where Anne Hutchinson would defend her unorthodox and beliefs and teaching. Anne Hutchinson was a seventeenth century women who used her voice freely and forcefully, as a result political maneuvering by the council destroyed her. Which this would lead the Antinomian Controversy. This controversy made Hutchinson famous in the unfolding in the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638, which the council was deeply satisfied with the teachings of several church leaders; begin to publicly express their discontent. “Hutchinson and others argued that preachers were promoting a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace, wrongly communicating the idea that an indivual could be saved by obedience and duty rather than solely by redeeming grace of the holy sprit”. (Smith p 437) Hutchinson and followers wanted an endorsement that was clear of the

Anne Hutchinson is partially similar to Puritans, although there are differences among their theology. As the Puritans desired a place of worship, where the Crown would not be interfering with their ideologies, Anne Hutchinson desired a place of worship. Furthermore, as the government attempted to convert the ideologies of the Puritans, the Puritans strived to control, convert, the ideologies of Hutchinson. However, in spite of their similarities, the Puritans focused on their differences: they did not uphold the similar theological principles. Moreover, they deemed her as a heretic.

Historical Essay Anne Hutchinson was a very important woman in the 1600’s this is because she is most well known for her role in the antinomian controversy in Massachusetts Bay Colony. The “term "antinomian" literally means "one who is against the law" (anti = against, nomos = the law) and was used by the orthodox Puritans as a slanderous term against Anne Hutchinson's followers.” (1.) “She caused a great deal of trouble to the church by stating the clerical doctrine of the covenant of grace in her own views and opinions. The standard view held that the elect entered a covenant with God on the condition of their believing in Christ, in return for which God contracted to give them salvation.”

Leader and midwife, Anne Hutchinson, was born in Alford,England. As a child, she learned from her father that questioning religious teachings from the Church of England is an acceptable task. Her father

It is my understanding that Anne's type of mischief was not too uncommon for that time period in Massachusetts. Meetings were held all over between Puritans discussing religious topics such as Biblical translations and weekly sermons

Anne Hutchinson held meetings at her house on Sundays to recall what had been said during the church sermon as well as to add her own ideas and thoughts on the topics that were being discussed. At first this seemed very normal but when her teachings began influencing people to pull away from the other Puritans, Winthrop recognized this as a problem. Anne Hutchinson taught others of her numerous propositions, which opposed the purpose of this excursion to New England. Morgan states that, Mrs. Hutchinson’s beliefs, “…threatened the fundamental conviction on which the Puritans built their state, their churches, and their daily lives, namely that God’s will could be discovered only through the bible” (Morgan). Anne Hutchinson was in fact an Antinomian, she opposed the fixed meaning of God’s moral law that Winthrop had worked so hard to teach these people. As a result, Mrs. Hutchinson was causing a huge threat to the settlers. She was trying to manipulate others to share her religious beliefs. Winthrop would not tolerate such behavior, as she was behaving sinfully, she must be punished accordingly or else as Winthrop believed, they would all suffer from God’s wrath. Winthrop took Mrs. Hutchinson to a court hearing and after a long, battle it was decided by the court that Mrs. Hutchinson was to be banished from Massachusetts. Mrs. Hutchinson was set as an example for the others who may

Anne Hutchinson wanted the freedom to express her opinions. In a time when Puritans had the final say on every topic in life not simply religion, Anne Hutchinson was accused of defying the principles of Puritan religion merely because she organized meetings to discuss subjects that had been preached about in church meetings. There was a tremendous backlash because of these studies and she was accused of

     In Puritan led Massachusetts Bay Colony during the days of Anne Hutchinson was an intriguing place to have lived. It was designed ideally as a holy mission in the New World called the “city upon a hill,” a mission to provide a prime example of how protestant lives should have subsisted of. A key ingredient to the success of the Puritan community was the cohesion of the community as a whole, which was created by a high level of conformity in the colony. Puritan leaders provided leadership for all facets of life; socially, economically, religiously, and even politically. A certain hierarchy was very apparent in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in which ministers always seemed to

The book Anne Hutchinson: Puritan Prophet, by Timothy D. Hall, tells the story of a strong-willed woman whose faith and intellect brought her about to play a major role in early New England Puritan life. Hall tries to answer many questions surrounding Hutchinson throughout the book to try and bring clarity to a powerful historic event.

The Puritans were extremely strict, callous and narrow-minded regarding people with opposing beliefs to their own. Persecution and maltreatment were a recurrent event that occurred to people in Massachusetts who had different beliefs or followed a different religion from the puritans. To verify my point, Anne Hutchinson was a woman who lived in Massachusetts and challenged the Puritan society by questioning religious teachings and by being a woman who took some authority. The Puritans of Massachusetts did not like this and as reported by Constitution Society, in Anne’s court examination,

Anne Hutchinson has long been seen as a strong religious dissenter who paved the way for religious freedom in the strictly Puritan environment of New England. Another interpretation of the controversy surrounding Anne Hutchinson asserts that she was simply a loving wife and mother whose charisma and personal ideas were misconstrued to be a radical religious movement. Since this alleged religious movement was led by a woman, it was quickly dealt with by the Puritan fathers as a real threat. Whatever her motives, she was clearly a great leader in the cause of religious toleration in America and the advancement of women in society. Although Anne Hutchinson is historically documented to have been banished as a religious dissenter, the real

Gender was a very controversial issue, which contributed greatly to the accusations against Hutchinson in her trial. Puritans family was considered to be, “carefully emulated the family structure of England, insisting that the obedience of women, children, and servant’s to men’s will was the foundation of social stability” (Foner,68). Therefore, meaning women, in the puritan’s eyes were to be below men and not have adjoining rights as men. In the trial is was a concern because she was “threatening to puritans establishment” (72) as a women figure. Winthrop stated within the trial Hutchinson “as a thing not tolerable nor comely in the sight of God not fitting for you sex…” (74) meaning her actions as a women in not in accordance or fit for the

The two women were similarly opposed to a society that felt women should remain at home. During this period of time, the role of women was thought to be in the home. Anne Hutchinson went against this belief when she started sharing her controversial religious beliefs with neighborhood women in need of her medical expertise. This quickly changed into biweekly devotional meetings. A woman holding controversial religious meetings in her home quickly drew the attention of sever powerful people. In the essay Anne Hutchinson it is stated that, ?Wilson and Winthrop persuaded Cotton to eavesdrop on Hutchinson?s meetings to see if there were any unacceptable messages';(4). Wilson, the most respected pastor in Boston, and Winthrop, the Governor of Massachusetts, decided Anne Hutchinson?s teachings must stop when her brother-in-law was accused of sedition. ?According to John Winthrop, Anne Hutchinson ?infected'; other members of her family with her beliefs'; (?Anne Hutchinson'; 5). In the same way, Hester Prynne went against the belief of society by

In the Early Colonial period, women had an unspecified class status. This meant that women had little to no restriction put against them. Women’s status of this period was determined by their wealth and religion. For example, Anne Hutchinson, was a headstrong woman who stood up for herself and her religion and participated in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, preaching about religion. She had the right to go and talk about something she was passionate about, rather than having her ideas shutdown.