Summary:
Anne Hutchinson taught the scripture and was convinced that God meant woman to be equal to man. As she grew older, Anne began to blend religious and political ideas. People looked down on her because of her religious teachings.
Anne Hutchinson was born in Alford England. She received experience as a midwife while she was a teenager helping her mother in her later pregnancies. Anne's father taught her as he would have taught a son. Anne married William Hutchinson; she had a number of children. Most survived to adulthood, which was rare for the time. She dove into the scripture and was convinced that God meant woman to be equal to man. As she grew older, Anne began to blend religious and political ideas. Other women wanted her to assist them in dangerous and fearsome pregnancies ("Anne Hutchinson, First American Feminist"). People looked down on her because of her religious teachings. Hutchinson only wanted people to hear what she had to say. She wanted everyone to have the equal chance to hear what she had learned by listening to the sermons of John Cotton. He believed in the covenant of grace (Cohen, p129). William and Anne fell under the spell of the preaching of John Cotton in Boston, England ("Anne Hutchinson, First American Feminist"). Other Puritan people believed in the covenant of work. Cotton was Hutchinson's favorite minister. He was her biggest influence (Cohen, p129). Anne Hutchinson had many followers, people against her, and consequences because of her beliefs.
John Cotton influenced Anne Hutchinson in many ways. She loved to listen to his sermons and then have private meetings in her own home. She lectured to people about the sermons she had heard (Cohen, p 129). Both John Cotton and the Hutchinsons migrated to America ("Anne Hutchinson, First American Feminist."). John Cotton was somewhat gentle in his messages. Anne decided to speak out on her beliefs without the defense of Cotton's position as a minister and a man. Hutchinson's lectures stressed that many of the leaders of the colony believed that their godly behavior would get them closer to Heaven. She disagreed and wanted to teach everyone about what she believed. Hutchinson believed that God's gift of grace would send you to Heaven.
John Winthrop believed that Hutchinson was weakening the colony by teaching the opposite of what the ministers were trying to teach. Winthrop discriminated against the teachings of Anne Hutchinson. He said that women should stay in their place and listen to their husbands, not give lectures that both men and women find persuasive. Many people were against the beliefs of Anne Hutchinson (Cohen, p 129). Anne, with her women's groups, familism and unorthodox theology, appeared to be a threat to authorities. She contended strongly in her own self-defense and reminding her accusers that the Bible permitted elder women to teach younger. Eventually John Winthrop put her on trial. Anne explained that her groups for women were not in disobedience of scripture. In fact, with the men of the court questioning her, they were actually allowing her to teach them ("Anne Hutchinson, First American Feminist.").
John Winthrop along with a packed court banished Anne from the colony. Anne and her family moved first to Rhode Island. She joined with Roger Williams who had a hand in founding Connecticut ("Anne Hutchinson, First American Feminist."). From Rhode Island, Anne and her family moved to Long Island. Where Indians killed Anne and her family, except for her ten-year-old daughter (Cohen, p130).
Anne Hutchinson obviously wanted people to know and understand her beliefs. Her influences and followers supported her. The people against her led her to suffer consequences when she was only doing what she believed was the right thing to do. Puritanism inspired believers to interpret the messages for themselves. Anne Hutchinson helped people to interpret messages from John Cotton's sermons. In doing so, she was accused and tried in court. I believe that if Anne Hutchinson had lived longer, she would have inspired many more women to speak out among the crowd.
Bibliography
Cohen, Hartmann, Johnson, Roark, Sarah Stage, The American Promise. Bedford
Books, 1998.
"Anne Hutchinson, First American Feminist." Remarkable Christian Women. 2004.
