The Trial of Anne Hutchinson

The story of the Trial of Anne Hutchinson was based in the Puritan colonies of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was established near Salem and Boston. Hutchinson, a woman, began teaching Bible study classes in her home, and soon the classes were full of women only. She challenged the authority of the clergy and the political and social systems of Puritanism, which held that women were inferior to men under God's laws.

Puritan women's gatherings
The Puritans encouraged the laity to ask questions during church services, and also held separate gatherings to discuss questions of faith. In Boston, Hutchinson hosted such gatherings. She criticized the preaching of ministers in the area and even used scripture to show their errors. Hutchinson also took the main chair in her home, which was usually reserved for the man of the house.

Hutchinson was a midwife when she first came to Boston in 1634. She began holding meetings with local women. These meetings were critical of Puritan beliefs, including the Covenant of Works. She stressed that salvation was by grace alone and that good works were not evidence of God's grace. The meetings gained popularity, attracting both prominent men and women.

Anne Hutchinson's conviction in 1637 provided a unique window into the world of the Puritans during this period. While she was a highly-regarded leader of her women's groups, she was also persecuted because she dared to challenge the authority of men. Her conviction was a direct violation of principles that would later become part of the First Amendment.

Anne Hutchinson's challenge to authority
Anne Hutchinson's challenge to church and state authority reflects the Puritan tradition of challenging authority. For the Puritans, scripture was the ultimate authority. Yet, Hutchinson asserted that she had received direct revelation from God, which enabled her to interpret the scriptures for herself.

Hutchinson, who had a keen mind, was tried by a court on the first two charges. She refused to recant, but was ultimately found guilty of the other charges. She defended her comments by claiming they were authorized by her "inner spiritual truth," a claim that the established religious hierarchy thought was heretical and unfounded. Hutchinson also asserted her personal closeness to God and that she had received direct revelations from God. She was eventually exiled from her colony and was killed by Native Americans in New York.

The court exiled Hutchinson and sixty-70 of her followers, and they made their way to Rhode Island. They camped in wigwams, which they built or found along the way. Their journey took about six days.

Her religious philosophy
Anne Hutchinson's religious philosophy was a major topic of discussion during the trial. She claimed to have received revelations from God, and the Puritans thought that such a claim was heresy. As a result, the court found her guilty of heresy and banished her from the community.

She was accused of overstepping her place as a woman and inspiring others to rebel. She preferred to be a preacher rather than a subject, and she claimed to have been a direct messenger of God. She even claimed that she could interpret the scriptures as God had instructed her to do. Ultimately, the trial resulted in Hutchinson's expulsion from Massachusetts Bay.

Hutchinson's religious philosophy during her trial was rooted in Antinomianism, a philosophy that challenged the doctrine of salvation by works by emphasizing direct experience with God. In addition, it elevated the Holy Spirit above the Bible and the authority of the church. It also contradicted traditional Christian teachings that emphasized the necessity of a good work to be saved.

Her banishment
After Hutchinson's banishment, her fame was in tatters. After her sentencing, her strongest supporters left Massachusetts, and she was not welcomed by her new congregation. Hutchinson's attempt to repent and renounce her errors was considered inadequate by her clergy, and she was excommunicated. She and her family fled to Rhode Island, where her husband died. She and her six children eventually settled in Long Island, New York.

Hutchinson was an outspoken Puritan who held discussions in her home, which were at odds with the religious codes of the time. Her convictions of personal worship were so radical that she was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her case represents the fate of many women in history who were forced to leave their communities due to their intellectual pursuits.

Hutchinson's defense included three witnesses. The first, John Coggeshall, testified that Hutchinson had not said all that the ministers alleged she had said. The second, Thomas Leverett, claimed that Hutchinson did not charge the ministers with teaching the covenant of works. Hutchinson claimed that God spoke directly to her and she could interpret the scriptures herself.