The Threat of Anne Hutchinson

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the character and actions of Anne Hutchinson and links her exile from the Puritan community to the fact that she was an influential woman.

From the Paper:

"In the 1630's, many people who called themselves Puritans began fleeing England. These people, like many others, were trying to escape the Protestant Reformation. They sought a safe place to freely peruse their beliefs, which they thought to be the only true path to salvation. Puritans formed their religious beliefs with the idea to purify the Church of England; an establishment they thought was far too similar to Catholicism. American Puritans saw it as their holy mission to show the world the true path to God. An important aspect of Puritanism was the fact that the whole community must enter into a Covent of Grace with God. As a result there was a huge pressure to conform thus individuality was harshly discouraged. This key idea was what got Anne Hutchinson in a lot of trouble. She first began as a highly respected woman, and in only a year became a feared heretic, sentenced to exile. Women were not typically feared in general, but a powerful women was a force to be reckoned with. Thus, Anne Hutchinson was a threat to not only the Massachusetts Bay colony, but also to the entire Puritanical community because she was an influential woman."

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