January 1st, 2008
6x Anne Hutchinson
Historical Events during the life of Anne Hutchinson


Anne Hutchinson lived during a very important time in history. She was born in Alford, England in 1591. In 1607 the English settled Jamestown, Virginia. Also during this time period Pilgrims were traveling on the Mayflower to what was later known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony,

In 1612 Anne Hutchinson was married to William Hutchinson. A few years after they were married Puritans began leaving England and traveling to America to set up their own city. Roger Williams was one of the leaders of the Puritans travels. He was a minister who was thrown out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He settled in Rhode Island, which was the first colony to give people religious freedom. In 1633 John Cotton (Anne Hutchinson’s teacher) sailed to America. A year later Anne and William Hutchinson along with most of their children, arrive in America. Anne and William were granted membership to the Church of Boston.

In 1636 Henry Vane, a supporter of Anne Hutchinson, was elected governor of Massachusetts. Also during this time period John Winthrop regains the governor’s seat of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Anne continued to voice her beliefs and hold meetings for women to gather in her home. She was sentenced to trial in 1637. She was later found guilty of heresy and forced to leave the colony. She decided to join Roger Williams and form the colony of Rhode Island.

Other colonies were later formed similar to Rhode Island. In 1682 William Penn followed the ideas of Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams and set up the colony of Pennsylvania. It was the Pennsylvania Quakers that made the first formal protest against slavery.

Anne’s death was very ironic. The Indians killed her and all but one of her children in 1643. She had fought hard her whole life for equality of all people including the Indians, which is why it was very sad that they killed her in the end. She had a very influential life that forever changed history.