Anne Hutchinson free essay sample

In 1637, women were considered servants of their husbands, and child bearing creatures of many. There were set rules â€Å"enforced by the Puritans† which stated women should only bear as many children as possible, raise them, take care of their husbands, and then remain quiet. They were seen as â€Å"morally feeble creatures†, who could do no more than â€Å"lead men to damnation if [men were to allow them] to form an opinion or express a [belief]. [1] Anne Hutchinson of the Massachusetts Bay Colony challenged the standard ways of women, however, when she was brought forth at the Court at Newton regarding private meetings in her home which involved discussing God and religion. The trial, written as the Document â€Å"The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at the Court at Newton† can be viewed as a piece of the emergence of early feminism, and allows readers to acknowledge the place women were given in the Puritan society. Anne Hutchinson, born Anne Marbury in Alford, Lincolnshire, England July, 1591 was born into a family of a very intelligent man, who she grew to admire and look after. Anne was home-schooled, and became very intrigued by religion and theology at a young age. She read her father’s books, and studied religion as much as possible. She grew up to be a very smart, determined, and sophisticated woman. In 1634, Anne, her husband, and her 15 children followed their protestant minister, John Cotton, to the New England Colonies. Anne knew of their soon departure and hoped that she would be able to practice her â€Å"faith in an environment† that favored â€Å"the new ideas of Puritanism† more than England did. She had even higher hopes that the New England colonies would be a place which would allow her to â€Å"worship God as [she] saw fit. † [2] After arriving to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and living there for a while, Anne realized that there really wasn’t such a thing as real â€Å"religious freedom†. She wished to talk about God and her beliefs as she pleased but because of the way women were viewed, especially â€Å"educated English women†, she had no right to do such thing. She stayed quiet for the majority of the time, but couldn’t hold still for long. She organized a Women’s Club in her home where she discussed the scriptures, and her own opinions while praying throughout the meetings. More and more women began to come to here her speak, and eventually men began showing up. Everyone wanted to come into her home and here what she had to say. John Winthrop, the newly appointed governor, soon found out about Hutchinson’s doings and therefore called her to court. The document â€Å"The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at the Court at Newton (1637)† is her exact trial. Like Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter, Anne Hutchinson was simply a woman who stood strongly for her beliefs. Her trial, I believe, has been made public for later generations to read and be reminded of the difficult times women throughout history have been through, and also the difficult times of people who suffered under tyrants. The document has been produced in order to show that Hutchinson was an early feminist, meaning that she devoted her time to standing up for the equal rights of men and women. [3] Women like Anne Hutchinson, the character of Hester Prynne, Jane Adams, and Susan B. Anthony have worked diligently to add characteristics associated with male roles to female roles. This document proves that men thought women to be ignorant when it came to political and religious aspects. Men were scared that women would overpower them, and take their roles in society, so by belittling them and not allowing them to do hardly anything at all, they felt secure that they would continue to lead society, but when Anne Hutchinson challenged the ideas of male roles, and challenged the idea of doing what she pleased, when she pleased, chaos broke loose in the largest colony in the Puritan society. The document relates to many of the females stated before in that they, too, stood up for what they belied in, and suffered for future women. The document is a reminder for readers, especially women, to value the freedom that they are presented with, and to not take for granted the liberty that we have in today’s American society. In the beginning of the document, it is clear that Anne’s only crime was gathering people into her home to speak of religion and God. Winthrop says, â€Å"†¦you have maintained a meeting and an assembly in your house that hath been condemned by the general assembly as a thing not tolerable nor comely in the sight of God nor fitting for your sex,† [4] which allows the reader to understand right off the bat that Winthrop is accusing her of unrightfully holding meetings in her home simply because it is â€Å"not fitting for her sex†. During this time period, men and women did not have equal rights. The document rightly justifies this accusation by presenting the reader with two gender differing characters in the very beginning of the document; two characters whom do not have the same rights and freedoms, who do not believe the same thing, and who do not see â€Å"eye to eye†. The document continues with an argument between Winthrop and Hutchinson regarding whether or not she committed a â€Å"crime†. Hutchinson believes that the crimes being accused of her are â€Å"a matter of conscience†, and therefore doesn’t think she has done anything wrong. Winthrop quickly lets her know that â€Å"[her] conscience must [be kept to herself], or it must be kept for [her]. [5] Hutchinson, along with other women of the puritan society are expected to take care of the husband and children which has been provided to her, and keep quiet, but Hutchinson believes that she should be allowed to â€Å"entertain† since she has to â€Å"keep her conscience†. [6] Winthrop’s main argument is that she broke the 5th commandment of the bible, which states that one should â€Å"honor thy father and thy mother†. He claims that by breaking the law of â€Å"God and of the state†, Hutchinson is not honoring her father or mother. Hutchinson is giving countenance, or support, to the people in which entered her home, and therefore she is not obeying the 5th commandment, since she is teaching and speaking on our own terms. The reader is able to see now that Winthrop is adding â€Å"crimes† to her list, rather than simply leaving it at â€Å"maintain[ing] a meeting and an assembly [in her home]. † Winthrop tells Hutchinson that she had â€Å"counseled them†, and by that she has â€Å"dishonored the commonwealth†, dishonored the â€Å"authority† to already preach or teach to the community. Winthrop and Hutchinson argue throughout the remainder of the next few pages about how women should stick to supporting men, and nothing else, because there are already higher authorities (men) who set up meetings, and she is dishonoring these men by setting up her own meetings in her own private home. Winthrop begins succeeding at replacing her truthfulness with false claims, and turns everything against her. He orders her to admit to doing wrong, even though she believes otherwise. Hutchinson stands up for women across her colony by sticking to her beliefs. She is very presumptuous and tells the Governor that he â€Å"may stop her from her wrong doings if he has a rule. † The diction that Hutchinson has chose allows the reader to understand that she is â€Å"set in stone† on her beliefs and no matter what, she will not change her mind. She continues to address the governor is a confident manner by telling him that â€Å"[she] will freely let [him] take [her] away†, and force her to stop, because â€Å"[she is] subject to [his] authority†. Hutchinson is like any other very strong feminist; she stays strong to her word and stands p for her beliefs. She lets the people of the court know that she does not agree with the fact that people, mostly women, should not be allowed to form their own opinions about religion, including â€Å"the antichrist†, and whom she believes him to be, and then discuss this freely among people who wish to listen to her speak. [7] Winthrop, along with several other authorities, accuse Hutchinson of saying things that she did not say, and then lightly listen to the few three people who support her, before asking the court to raise their hands if they believe she is in the wrong. When all but three people raised their hands, they decided to banish her from the colony, and imprison her until she is able to be sent away. At the very end of the document, Winthrop lets Anne Hutchinson know what the decision is, and she continues to fight by stating that â€Å"[she] desires to know wherefore [she is] banished. † [8] Winthrop ends the trial by clearing stating that it doesn’t matter. â€Å"The court knows wherefore and is satisfied. † Winthrop and the court wanted to prove their power, and not let Hutchinson over step them, and so they did by banishing her, and not even taking into consideration her wishes. The message being conveyed by the trial was that men were superior and women did not have a say. Men and the authorities of the church and state could change everything around on the women, and force them not to speak, and force them to change their story, just so they could get their way. This particular document relates to the document of John Winthrop, â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity† in that both documents focus a lot of attention of Winthrop, the governor, and his beliefs and insights on religion and Christianity. Winthrop seems to realize that he holds a lot of power in both texts, and states a lot of the laws and orders of the community. Winthrop, in â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity† discusses the idea of the Great Chain of Being, him of which being high on the chain. He states the conditions of mankind, being that â€Å"some must be rich, some poore, some high and eminent in power and dignitie; others mean and submissive. † [9] This is similar to the ideas presented in the trial of Anne Hutchinson because he places Hutchinson at the bottom of the Great Chain of Being and does not allow her any say so what-so-ever. Also, in both texts, Winthrop does most of the speaking and â€Å"preaching†, which proves his placement on the totem pole. However, Winthrop focuses on â€Å"bonds of brotherly love†, and â€Å"noe man [being] made more honourable than another or more wealthy [than another]† [10] in the text of Christian Charity which seems to go against what future he placed upon Anne Hutchinson. How can one man not be made more honorable than another if some men can’t practice what they choose, and some can. Hutchinson wasn’t able to give her own opinion of her religion in her own home like Americans can do today. Freedom is taken for granted so often, and the texts allow readers to understand that Americans need to understand their freedoms and respect that there is no greater chain of being unless you want there to be, meaning you place your God above yourself. Other documents closely relate the trial of Anne Hutchinson in that they discuss the life of Puritans, or the life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the religion based society that they embraced. The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at the Court at Newton has sparked much interest for this time period. The document is almost vital in understanding the roles that men and women played in the Puritan society. Many historians believe that Hutchinson was one of the very first feminists because of her strong acts towards her Antinomian beliefs. According to historian Ben Barker-Benfield, â€Å"Anne Hutchinson represented the emergence of dynamic individual consciousness,† not just for women, but for some men as well. [11] During 1637, it was unheard of for a woman to come forth and express her opinion and beliefs and challenge those of a man, or many men, especially regarding religion. Hutchinson changed this idea, however, even though the court did banish her, feeling as if they still held the reign and the strong power, remaining close to the top of the great chain of being. Lyle Koehler, another historian who studies females in the years of the Antinomian turmoil, states that â€Å"That Anne Hutchinson and many other Puritan women should at stressful times rebel, either by explicit statement or by implicit example, against the role they were expected to fulfill in society is readily understandable, since that role, in both old and New England, was extremely limiting. [12] He continues by describing the average English woman as â€Å"weak, submissive, modest and charitable,† â€Å"inferior to her husband,† and expected to â€Å"hold her tongue in church and be careful not ‘to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man†¦ Hutchinson challenged the roles of the average English woman and was therefore â€Å"punished† for her actions. I believe Hutchinson changed the course of history in that she was able to set the standard for future treatment of women, even though women were still not treated equally to men, even in 1918, when they were finally granted the right to vote. She set the way for Antinomian religion and freedom of religion, in general. In today’s American society, any one person can practice any religion as they please, and speak of whatever God they so choose, or hold meetings of whatever kind in their homes as much as they like, whereas in the Puritan society this was forbidden. Hutchinson paved the road that lead to this ability of freedom, even though â€Å"freedom of speech† had been produced long before. Her attitude toward her society and religion are seen by many as â€Å"charismatic,† because of â€Å"her gift of fluent and inspired speech†. 14]We recognize this behavior today as fighting for what you believe in and standing strong against the antagonists.