What Was The Downfall Of Anne Hutchinson Trial

Anne Hutchinson was a remarkable colonial woman who first came to Massachusetts in the fall of 1634. She is less remembered for her contributions in the new world as a wife, mother of fourteen, and midwife to many than for her eventual trial and banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. I was interested in writing a paper on a colonial woman and chose Anne Hutchinson after a "Google" search turned up a very good review on a recent book about her life. I have been intrigued by the fact that the Puritans came to America to practice their religion freely, yet allowed no freedom to question their

Both Anne Bradstreet and Ann Putnam, Christian women, had devastating things happen in their lives. Anne and Ann handled their devastating problems very different. Anne Putman was a middle aged woman during the 1692-93 witch trials. She had a tragic experience when she gave birth to 8 children only 1 of which lived past the first day. The way she handled her problems was not very good because she took all her anger out on others. She claimed to be a Christian woman but she would yell at the people accused of witchcraft for “killing” her kids. “MRS. PUTNAM: I take it on my soul, but who else may surely tell us what person murdered my babies? PARRIS, horrified: Woman!” (Miller l. 105-106) This quote shows her yelling at Tituba trying to get

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

Their, she taught many men and women in her home of her beliefs while praising John Cotton as well. “Between the voice of my beloved and the voice of Moses, John the Baptist and Antichrist (Cheney, 23.)” Therefore, Hutchinson did hold John Cotton quite highly.

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

religious topics. At the conclusion of the trial, Hutchinson was subjected to being banished from the colony. Though she did not agree with the judgement of

And because they exist within a self governing system, the accusation of guilt quickly rendered the judgement and decision of guilt before any trial took place or any evidence was shared. The Word of God does say in Hebrews 4:12, “"For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, andis a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." In the heart of Anne Hutchinson I believe we see a godly woman uncompromising to her call. Yet the reflection her boldness found in the system of these self governing men, was a blinding assult and the very heresy they

After she had been charged, Anne Hutchinson was forced to go on trial in November 1637. Winthrop personally interrogated her and claimed that she was defaming the ministers. Anne was accused of questioning Bible teachings. Hutchinson fought Winthrop to prove his claim. She would answer his questions with challenging questions of her own. In result to her defiance, Winthrop condemned her teaching men in public as “not fitting for her gender.” Anne attempted to defend herself with biblical terms and by quoting Titus. She wanted to make it clear that it was up to the older women to the younger ones. Unfortunately, her fate was decided. Because Hutchinson claimed her revelations came directly from God, it showed that there was a clear case of heresy. The magistrates immediately revealed that she was to be banished from the community.

How was Anne Hutchinson's trial an ordeal for her and how was it an ordeal for

Hutchinson was put under house arrest and ordered to be gone by the end of the following March. In the meantime, she was not allowed to return home, but was taken in at the house of Joseph Weld, located in Roxbury, about two miles from her home in Boston. While the distance was hard to deal with, Hutchinson was rarely able to see her children because of the weather, which it was always winter. Winthrop, who referred to Hutchinson as "the prisoner", was determined to keep her hidden so that others would not learn from her. She was occasionally visited by many ministers, whose purpose was to change her thinking, but also to collect evidence against her. Thomas Shepard, who was there to "collect errors", said that she was a dangerous woman, and

     In the trial against Anne Hutchinson, she was charged, in a vague manner, to be a danger to the colony because of the spreading of her Antinomian opinions at her meetings. Throughout the entire trial Anne was slowly being backed into a corner in which ideally she would have then broken down and admitted to doing all the wrongs in which Governor Winthrop believed she was guilty of, but she never really did. The evidence against her was so weak in nature, that it seemed that Winthrop, along with all the other elders and deputies, really needed a confession to completely justify her banishment. Though unsuccessful in their efforts, even when it was brought up by the Deputy Governor that Anne went to a meeting of ministers and told them all that they preached the “covenant of works” to their very faces, Anne stayed with the Fifth Amendment technique and denied nothing,

“The Political Trial of Anne Hutchinson” is an article written by Anne Fairfax and Jack Schwartz for the New England Quarterly in 1978. It talks about the time period of which Anne Hutchinson, a religious housewife in 1637, had different beliefs than the Massachusetts colonies. She held meetings that would discuss that week’s sermon. After sometime, these meetings gained a lot of recognition which brought in a large following. She became a very popular religious leader in the 1630’s.

Although Hall never picks a side as to who he thought was right, he does seem to show sympathy towards Anne and the cruel fate she was dealt. In my mind Hall answers his question as to who Anne Hutchinson really was throughout the entire book. She was a loving, passionate woman, who stood up for what she believed in and in many ways, as Hall described her in his preface, she was “the first American woman – bold, independent, self confident, articulate, assertive of her rights in the face of those bent on denying them.” (Hall, ix)

Anne Hutchinson”. She felt so responsible for own salvation that she challenged the priests of her time with her understanding of her connection with God. The Puritans allowance of “sanctification” to replace the inner seal of the Holy Spirit for the test of grace angered Hutchinson. She spoke against sanctification here “I seek not for graces, but for Christ; I seek not for promises, but for Christ; I seek not for sanctification but for Christ; tell me not of meditation and duties, but tell me of Christ” (Helmert, 154). Hutchinson was speaking against the idea of a “covenant of works” that certain actions will lead to salvation. Emerson found this idea nonsensical as following a pattern laid out by the past is taking away from every person’s connection with God. Emerson viewed imitation as in direct contrast of understanding the God within

In the textbook, “Give me Liberty” by Eric Foner, he uncovers the story on the trial of Anne Hutchinson. This trial was brought to my attention because what had happened to her was unethical. Hutchinson was charged with “sedition” which is the action by encouraging others to rebel against the authority. She also held meetings after church to talk about the bible. Anne Hutchinson announces her own point of views that are above the human law and church teachings. For example, “Her meetings, said Governor Winthrop, were neither “comely in the sight of God, nor fitting to your sex” (Foner 74). We were all born with the ability to speak upon our own judgments and because she was educated and had her own logical opinions that other women did not have, she was on trial for that.