Anne Hutchinson - Major Contributions

Anne Hutchinson made many important contributions during her life. Her beliefs were ahead of her time, which is why she was faced with conflict. She stood up to the close-minded Puritans for what she believed. After being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony she was killed by the Native Americans. Her ideas along with those of people such as John Winthrop paved the way for religious freedom.

One of Anne’s most important contributions was her work for women and Native Americans rights. She risked being persecuted by the Puritans by having secret meetings in her house for women to come and speak about religion and faith. During this time, people were expected to follow the Church of England. Women were totally ignored and rejected by the Puritan church in Massachusetts. Anne had moved to Massachusetts Bay in hopes to find religions toleration but quickly found at the Puritan church was also very exclusive and had no toleration for any other religions. She advocated women to speak freely for the first time. At her meetings women began to question the ideas the church was preaching to them and also began to express their own ideas. Because of these meetings she was placed on trial.

The idea that anyone could speak to God directly was another contribution of Anne Hutchinson on society. Influenced by her father she read and followed the Bible. She felt she could talk to God through reading the scripture herself and interpreting it in her own life. For this reason she was persecuted by the Puritans who believed that God could only be reached through following the corrupted ministers of the Church of England.

Anne Hutchinson was a major contributor to the founding of Providence Rhode Island. When she was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, her and her family set out to find a place where there was complete toleration for all religions and beliefs. They landed in an area of Rhode Island that is now considered Providence. Even after she was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony her ideas spread throughout the community. Her practices eventually lead to the new constitution, which stated religious freedom for all religions and all people for the first time. As a result of her teachings the colony promised to teach new ministers practices that would secure a peaceful future.

Anne Hutchinson’s footsteps paved the path for women and religious freedom. Her ideas shaped the society we experience today. She fought for womens rights in a time when men did not consider women worthy on an intellectual level. She also fought for the rights of the Native Americans whose land was being