Reasons For The Banishment Of Anne Hutchinson

Banishment of Anne Hutchinson

Puritans were a group of Protestants who left England in 1630 and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. Religious belief is what motivated the Puritans to venture out and make this new establishment. During that time, all colonial establishments in America were surrounded my native people who potentially posed a threat to their survival. For this reason, unity within a colony was the key to survival, and anything that threatened this unity also threatened the colony’s existence as a whole. The Massachusetts Bay Colony quickly gained a solid foundation due to its common religious views and family oriented structure. These commonalities amongst its members allowed the new settlement to thrive. To keep

Williams held a belief in freedom of expression, and he also thought that the natives should be paid for their land. William’s actions were viewed as an attempt to sabotage the colony’s unity. Unity amongst the puritans was based on a strict set of religious guidelines enforced by Puritan ministers. Anyone who threatened this unity was a threat to the colony as a whole and was therefore punished. The Puritan leaders viewed William’s actions as an act of disobedience, and Williams was soon ordered by the courts to return to England. Instead, he relocated to Rhode Island where he established a new community. The story of Roger Williams serves as proof to any member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony that violations of the puritan faith are not taken

With the colony’s strength and success coming mainly from its unification for a common religion, any segregation could pose as a weakness to harmful tribes nearby. In the assigned readings, Governor Winthrop says why he believes Anne Hutchinson is detrimental to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He states, ”The pretence was to repeate Sermons, but when that was done, shee would comment upon the Doctrines, and interpret all passages at her pleasure, and expound dark places of Scripture, so as whatsoever the Letter held forth ... shee would bee sure to make it serve her turn, for the confirming of her maine principles.” In other words, the governor is saying that Anne was giving her own interpretation of the scripture that resulted in discrediting the beliefs that the entire colony was founded on. If this continued, the resulting outcome could be an internal conflict, which would severely weaken the Colony. The leaders of this new colony have founded this entire society on their religious views; therefore, any doubt in their claims is a threat to their unity. This is why the court tells Anne she is being tried “partly by those erroneous opinions which you have broached and divulged amongst us, ... partly by casting reproach upon the faithfull Ministers of this Countrey, and upon their