The Trial Of Anne Hutchinson: Heretical Teacher Or Guardian Of Religious Liberty

The Trial of Anne Hutchinson: Heretical Teacher or Guardian of Religious Liberty

Lanie Riley-Collier

Liberty University

HIUS 221: Survey of American History I

Professor Wolfe

February 27, 2023

2

The Trial of Anne Hutchinson: Heretical Teacher or Guardian of Religious Liberty

When thinking of an inspiring, Christian woman, who comes to your mind? Anne

Hutchinson may not be your first thought, but I believe she deserves to be. Hutchinson wasn’t as well known, but she truly stood up for her Christian beliefs. Anne Hutchinson was a Puritan spiritual advisor and religious reformer who changed the Massachusetts Bay Colony forever

(Michals, 2015). There were a couple new facts that I learned from researching Hutchinson such as that it was against

When I began researching Hutchinson and found out what she stood for, I questioned and couldn't quite understand why what she believed in was persecuted by the

Puritans. The article called “Anne Hutchinson - significance, beliefs, banishment - history” stated, “Hutchinson, like Cotton, stressed salvation by God’s grace alone (the Covenant of

Grace), and she disavowed the Puritan belief that good works were a sign of God’s grace,”

(2009). This quote encapsulates what Hutchinson believed and I feel the same as her. I originally thought the Puritan Doctrine was just like a regular Christian religion, but a little more strict. I never knew that this doctrine didn’t agree with having a personal relationship with God on your own terms. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, now a result of works, so that no one may boast,”

(ESV). This verse is a perfect explanation of how I believe and what I think Hutchinson would agree with as well. As much as it shocked me to find out that the Puritan Doctrine didn’t allow

After reading various resources on Hutchinson’s life story, at the end of each one it told how she had passed. I was expecting a peaceful passing, but this was not the case for Hutchinson. In 1643, Hutchinson and her family were at their home when suddenly they were attacked by an Indian tribe,

(Michals, 2015). This attack resulted in fifteen people dying, including Hutchinson. Michals states, “Initially, historians thought the attack was in response to whites taking Indian lands, however, some historians also speculate that it may have been provoked by Puritans,” (2015).

You would think this was enough and the Puritans would leave it alone. However, this was not the end. John Winthrop still held a grudge against Hutchinson and after hearing of her death, he claimed that his prayers were answered and she was finally gone. Anne Hutchinson - significance, beliefs, banishment - history claimed that Winthrop eventually wrote an essay about

Hutchinson and referred to her as the “American Jezebel”, (2009).

Moreover, I learned that there is a piece of land dedicated to Hutchinson’s honor. This piece of land is located in New York and called the “Hutchinson River Parkway”.