FBI Dossier: Anne Hutchinson
digitally enhanced to look 20 years younger.
Colonial F.B.I. Project
Purpose: To create an FBI file on one of the following explorers, scientists, or leaders who played a pivotal role during the American Revolution.
Name : Anne Hutchinson
Born: July, 1591 in Alford, England
Died: 1643 in New York, United States
Brief history (family, personal, significant dates/events): Comes from a family background of very religious radicals, in turn influencing her religious beliefs among the Puritan population (mostly women) in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She would hold meetings in her home where visitors could freely question religious beliefs and criticize racial prejudice, especially the enslavement of the Native Americans. In 1637 she was put on trial because of her undermining views, secret blasphemies, and breaking the 5th commandment of "honoring thy father and thy mother."
Known as: Puritan Prophet
Stats:
height - 5"5
weight - 123lbs
clothes size - 36" bust; 27" waist
hairstyle - tight bun covered with a dark colored bonnet
Occupation: Religious Leader/Protester/Midwife
Favorite foods: Molasses ginger snaps
Favorite drink: Sherry Cobbler
Jewelry preference : no preference
Naughty facts: Once accused of behaving like a man.
Secret conversations: Anne Hutchinson would hold discussions with women and was accused of influencing women with perverse ideas in regards to their dignity and rights.
Quote: "I have been guilty of wrong thinking"
ESSAY OUTLINE
Page I: Anne Hutchinson's Beginnings
- Current events going on in her time period.
- Puritan society, religious views, persecution in England
- Immigration to America w/Puritans
- Her family background, how influential towards her views.
Page II: Anne Hutchinson's Life in Puritan Society
- Midwife, wife, and mother of 15 children
- Secret discussions/meetings
- Put on trial for heresy/reasons why
Page III: Anne Hutchinson's Contributions/Conclusion
- Pioneered advocating for religious dissent, the right to assemble, and women’s rights
- Influential woman in colonial society
- foundation of America's Christian feminism, liberal thinking, and religious freedom
Page I: Anne Hutchinson's Beginnings
- Current events going on in her time period.
- Puritan society, religious views, persecution in England
- Immigration to America w/Puritans
- Her family background, how influential towards her views.
Page II: Anne Hutchinson's Life in Puritan Society
- Midwife, wife, and mother of 15 children
- Secret discussions/meetings
- Put on trial for heresy/reasons why
Page III: Anne Hutchinson's Contributions/Conclusion
- Pioneered advocating for religious dissent, the right to assemble, and women’s rights
- Influential woman in colonial society
- foundation of America's Christian feminism, liberal thinking, and religious freedom
ANNE HUTCHINSON
Roots
There were many happenings in the years between 1500 to 1600, however the most prominent events that happened during these years in England, which will be focused on is the Puritan religious movement and the life of Anne Hutchinson. We will get down to the roots of Puritanism and how the religion could spark such an influential and controversial person among their society.
In England, where Puritanism began, the main church was The Church of England or also known as the Anglican Church which foundations began after King Henry VIII wanted a divorce from his wife. The only option King Henry VIII had was to build his own church. Thus being said, the Puritan people wanted to purify the church of England, hence their name, and the Puritans were most influenced by a man by the name of John Calvin.Their beliefs focused with having the authorities contain less power than they already had, with King Henry VIII being an example. Also, they believed that the Anglican Church vested too much power in their church heirarchy. Aside from that they also believed that the government had excessive authority and in turn, the Puritans preached that the government must control their power through a constitution that limited thier authority. As a result, the Puritans were considered a radical religion and King James, who ruled after King Henry VIII persecuted those who were Puritans.
Consequently, the Puritans fled to the New World to flee from the religious persecution going on in England. An infamous group of Puritans that fled to the New World was the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629 and Anne Hutchinson was of those Puritans who fled.
Life in Puritan Society
Anne Hutchinson was born within the year of 1591 in Lincolnshire, England. There, she spent her childhood and later to adulthood. Her background understandingly comes from a father who was a preacher among the Puritan society in England but the noble authorities had his liscence suspended as a preacher, because of his very straightforward faultfindings within the religious establishment. After her father’s death, Anne Hutchinson married and had fifteen children in the span of twenty three years. For about twenty years she worked as a midwife in England and in 1634 she emigrated to the New World. “She had decided to emigrate in the belief that New England afforded greater religious freedom as well as wider opportunities for women.” (Ellsberg, Par.4)
Life in New England
Though Anne was raised a Puritan, when she emigrated to the New World, she highly disagreed with the authority that some of the Puritan people held and the views of Puritan life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She considered a very independent woman in that time and she was still known for her skilled midwifery and herbal healing. She and her husband were very important in the colony for Anne was the town’s midwife and many were in debts to her. She was also a very eager student and reader of the Bible. She also held meetings and prayer groups with the women in the colony. At these meetings, Anne would read a passage from the Bible, and just like a preacher, interprate what she believed the passage meant. There were also other topics discussed as well. During Anne’s life in New England in Puritan Society, she was very vocal about the beliefs she held but in a discrete setting. Her bible groups were seen as being secret discussions and meetings held in her own home. There she and the people talked of issues such as religious beliefs and questioning them and racial prejudice which affected the Native Americans during that time. The official town ministers began to become wary of what these meetings going on in the Hutchinson household were about and thus highly opposed these meetings saying that she was confusing the faithful. The towns people compared Anne “to a modern “Jezebel” who was infecting women with perverse and “abominable” ideas regarding their dignity and rights.” (Ellsberg, Par. 6)
As a result, Anne was put on trial for heresy and because of her perfidious and corrupt views. Her trial consisted of the equivalent to a jury, however all were male and they freely interrogated her to admit her idealistic abominations. Because of her ideology, she was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Contributions to Modern Society
Anne Hutchinson is said to have pioneered woman’s rights and religious disagreement and I believe that she has done so. Anne Hutchinson tried to have the women be involved in religious discussions and have the abiltity to voice their opinions during their discussions. She was influential, not only towards woman, but to the town people as well since she aided the families with the many births going on and acted as a doctor through her herbal homeopathic treatments. I would say her views were very liberal during her time, especially for a woman’s and that deems her contribution into our society.
Bibliography
1. Ellsberg, Robert. "Anne Hutchinson." Gratefulness. 2007. 28 Dec. 2007.
2. Hutchinson, Anne (1591-1643). DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.
3. Puritans.Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Ed. Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999
There were many happenings in the years between 1500 to 1600, however the most prominent events that happened during these years in England, which will be focused on is the Puritan religious movement and the life of Anne Hutchinson. We will get down to the roots of Puritanism and how the religion could spark such an influential and controversial person among their society.
In England, where Puritanism began, the main church was The Church of England or also known as the Anglican Church which foundations began after King Henry VIII wanted a divorce from his wife. The only option King Henry VIII had was to build his own church. Thus being said, the Puritan people wanted to purify the church of England, hence their name, and the Puritans were most influenced by a man by the name of John Calvin.Their beliefs focused with having the authorities contain less power than they already had, with King Henry VIII being an example. Also, they believed that the Anglican Church vested too much power in their church heirarchy. Aside from that they also believed that the government had excessive authority and in turn, the Puritans preached that the government must control their power through a constitution that limited thier authority. As a result, the Puritans were considered a radical religion and King James, who ruled after King Henry VIII persecuted those who were Puritans.
Consequently, the Puritans fled to the New World to flee from the religious persecution going on in England. An infamous group of Puritans that fled to the New World was the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629 and Anne Hutchinson was of those Puritans who fled.
Life in Puritan Society
Anne Hutchinson was born within the year of 1591 in Lincolnshire, England. There, she spent her childhood and later to adulthood. Her background understandingly comes from a father who was a preacher among the Puritan society in England but the noble authorities had his liscence suspended as a preacher, because of his very straightforward faultfindings within the religious establishment. After her father’s death, Anne Hutchinson married and had fifteen children in the span of twenty three years. For about twenty years she worked as a midwife in England and in 1634 she emigrated to the New World. “She had decided to emigrate in the belief that New England afforded greater religious freedom as well as wider opportunities for women.” (Ellsberg, Par.4)
Life in New England
Though Anne was raised a Puritan, when she emigrated to the New World, she highly disagreed with the authority that some of the Puritan people held and the views of Puritan life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She considered a very independent woman in that time and she was still known for her skilled midwifery and herbal healing. She and her husband were very important in the colony for Anne was the town’s midwife and many were in debts to her. She was also a very eager student and reader of the Bible. She also held meetings and prayer groups with the women in the colony. At these meetings, Anne would read a passage from the Bible, and just like a preacher, interprate what she believed the passage meant. There were also other topics discussed as well. During Anne’s life in New England in Puritan Society, she was very vocal about the beliefs she held but in a discrete setting. Her bible groups were seen as being secret discussions and meetings held in her own home. There she and the people talked of issues such as religious beliefs and questioning them and racial prejudice which affected the Native Americans during that time. The official town ministers began to become wary of what these meetings going on in the Hutchinson household were about and thus highly opposed these meetings saying that she was confusing the faithful. The towns people compared Anne “to a modern “Jezebel” who was infecting women with perverse and “abominable” ideas regarding their dignity and rights.” (Ellsberg, Par. 6)
As a result, Anne was put on trial for heresy and because of her perfidious and corrupt views. Her trial consisted of the equivalent to a jury, however all were male and they freely interrogated her to admit her idealistic abominations. Because of her ideology, she was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Contributions to Modern Society
Anne Hutchinson is said to have pioneered woman’s rights and religious disagreement and I believe that she has done so. Anne Hutchinson tried to have the women be involved in religious discussions and have the abiltity to voice their opinions during their discussions. She was influential, not only towards woman, but to the town people as well since she aided the families with the many births going on and acted as a doctor through her herbal homeopathic treatments. I would say her views were very liberal during her time, especially for a woman’s and that deems her contribution into our society.
Bibliography
1. Ellsberg, Robert. "Anne Hutchinson." Gratefulness. 2007. 28 Dec. 2007
2. Hutchinson, Anne (1591-1643). DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003.
3. Puritans.Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Ed. Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999
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