Anne Hutchinson: A Woman Betrayed
In, the early seventeenth century, religious freedom in England was nonexistent and the unintelligible separation between church and state led to the departure of citizens to the new American colonies. Looking for tolerance and the chance to practice and preach the religion they sought, they roughed the open seas to a crude settlement cut out of the wilderness with the fear of Indians and famine as their welcoming party. One of these people daring to brave the unknown for the Unknown was Mrs. Anne Hutchinson. Her desire to learn and observe as her spirit willed her was greater than the fate that could befall her, and would befall her thanks to those she put her faith and trust into. In 1630, John Winthrop, with a special charter from England and well-funded by the Massachusetts Bay Company, began a new settlement in North America. His friend and pastor, Reverend John Cotton, was asked to help him as a teacher at the Boston Church. At the time, Cotton was a preacher at St. Botolph in Boston, England, where Anne Hutchinson was a member of his congregation. Finally, three years later, Cotton decided to make the trip from Boston, England to Boston, Massachusetts. Hutchinson, being so taken with his sermons and left without a
He was found guilty, but a petition signed by a large part of the population got him transferred out of town. Once she was voted in as a member of the Boston church, Hutchinson became an active member of the community and a model citizen. To the ministers of Boston, this was heresy. She "awakened them to the need for further diligent soul-searching as to their spiritual estates" (Cameron 67). Furthermore, her mentor and pastor, whom she left her home in England to follow and who taught her the theology she professed, turned his back on her and vehemently disassociated himself from her. The ministers were so receptive of her religious work, as it came at a time of spiritual revival, she was more than welcome in their colony. She was found guilty when she stated that God showed himself to her through the Bible and scripture, and that she knew he would help her out of the predicament that she was in and protect her. Anne Hutchinson, now banished from the colony, moved to Rhode Island and Roger Williams' colony. Thus, with the historical backdrop formed, her saga begins. However, in 1636, during Hutchinson's weekly meetings in her home, discussing Reverend Cotton's Sunday sermons, with the women of the community (and soon after, their husbands and brothers too), she began to make open statements of how the ministers in the town were not preaching biblically and only John Cotton and her brother-in-law, John Wheelright, were delivering correct doctrine (Westbrook 23). Cotton "joined the enemy camp, he sacrificed his protege in order to save his position and his power" (Cameron 11). And to the leaders of the town, without the fear of not being saved from eternal hell, good behavior and the social order of the town would be jeopardized. The organization of the churches and doctrine being defined was also a large portion of this colony being scrutinized. In May, Winthrop was reelected as governor, ousting Governor Vane (a follower of Hutchinson) and increasing political power to the ministers.
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