Waltman 1 Bailey Waltman Mrs. Montana AP US History 8 September 2013 Anne Hutchinson: American Jezebel or Visionary?

Anne Hutchison, a prominent (and controversial) political figure in early American history was hailed as a hero by some and as a wicked, immoral jezebel by others. She taught the citizens of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to rebel against the oppressive and morally ambiguous church leaders that were forcing their stale, outdated sermons onto the populace and was banished in return. Hutchinsons ideas about the role of women in colonial society and controversial, Antimonian, worship techniques were revolutionary, but were, sadly, repressed by the theocratic government she was preaching against. Anne Hutchinsons only sin was a willingness to stand up for what she believed in despite overstepping her bounds as a woman which was admirable and courageous of her in a time where the government had no qualms about enforcing capital punishment for what we see today as minor offenses. Hutchinson journeyed to the new world in search of a place where she could express her religious views freely and without persecution but found nothing of the sort in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Even before she set foot on American soil, Anne had already aroused the suspicion of the minister who had first inspired her, John Cotton. Cotton would not admit Hutchinson into his congregation because of remarks she had made during the voyage about how she believed she had been given the power of clairvoyance by God, and had to publicly admit her mistake before she was allowed to join. Anne realized that the freedom of religion she had been promised was not necessarily all that it had been made out to be and formed her own ideals about what

Waltman 2 having a relationship with the Lord actually meant. She preached to her followers that it was better to have a personal relationship with God rather than worshipping with the masses through the corrupt, non-elect ministers that were stationed in the colony. With theocracy serving as the official governmental policy of the colony, this caused tension against Anne from all sides and eventually lead her to be put on trial, but she never once relented or went back on her word. Hutchinson thought for herself and did not blindly follow the people around her, which was unusual and went against the tide of the times, demonstrating the great courage and determination that she possessed. Anne Hutchinson was also in favor of social equality of the sexes which skyrocketed her popularity amongst the female members of the population. Her original congregation was a womens worship group that was created to discuss the scriptures and review sermons but morphed into a place where she could voice her own opinions about religion. She attracted so much attention from both men and women that Governor John Winthrop started to see her as a threat to the men in power and accused her of heresy. Hutchinson was a woman who dared not only to think, but to speak her thoughts aloud with fervor, which was completely unheard of in colonial America where women were meant to be seen and not heard. She was extremely brave and can be considered one of the earliest and most influential feminists in American history. Anne Hutchinson is one of many powerful women who stuck up for their rights in a male dominated world and, despite being silenced, helped to gain us the rights that the women of our country enjoy today. The teachings of Anne Hutchinson that left her banished and tarnished her reputation were revolutionary and well-ahead of her time. She was never a jezebel, but rather an advocate for the rights of women in colonial society and a believer in what freedom of religion should

Waltman 3 truly mean, the freedom to worship personally and without an obligation to anyone else. The theocratic government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony may have silenced her, but Hutchinson was an influential character in both the American feminist movement as well as the development of true freedom in the colonies. She was brave, determined and outspoken and deserved the respect of her peers for the work she was doing to make life better for everyone in colonial society.