Jason Warhurst

9/18/2015
History 1700
Document Analysis #1
The Trial of Anne Hutchinson / Speech to the Massachusetts General Court
This voice of freedom takes place in 1637, and in 1645 when Anne
Hutchinson is on trial for preaching what she believes to be the gospel. She
believes in grace, revelation from the Holy Spirit and held prayer meetings in
her house. Anne started having these meetings back in 1634. She believed
that she was acting from revelation, which was contrary to the puritan
beliefs. One of the reasons that Anne Hutchinson started having her own
religious meetings was because she did not agree with predestination. The
Governor John Winthrop said that what she was doing was not for the peace
of commonwealth and the churches. Anne was asked how she knew it was
the spirit and she responded with by an immediate revelation, after having
said that, she was imprisoned until she was sent away.
The speech to Massachusetts General Court says that there are two
different types of liberties, Natural and Civil or Federal. Natural is that a man
can do as he pleases whether it be good or evil. The second liberty is Civil or
Federal and it is to be maintained by authority and a liberty to that which is
good, just and honest. This time period was very unjust yet necessary for
the developing colonies. They werent as open-minded in those days. Women
had no rights and they were basically slaves to their husbands. Governor

John Winthrop beliefs were set in stone from the trial of Anne Hutchinson,
and clearly carried the same beliefs eight years later.
These two events take place in the developing colony of Plymouth.
The mindset that women were inferior continued from the beginning of the
colonies to the early 1920s. Both documents clearly show the mindset of the
colony and how it was so uncompromising. If you did not agree with what the
leaders said, then they would banish you and your family without hesitation.
The trial of Anne Hutchinson that took place in the 1630s shows how fragile
of an environment they lived in. It shows how close-minded people were for
several different reasons; the first is because she was a woman, and
according to the governor it wasnt comely to God nor fitting for your sex.
The second is because if someone with authority said if thats how it is, then
thats how it was. I suppose that is due to the lack of education because
people merely thought what they were told to think because the middle and
lower classes were not educated. The people in power wanted to stay in
power and they best way to do that is to keep the lower classes uneducated.
During the great puritan migration, 40,000 to 60,000 people brought a
huge amount of diversity to the puritan colony of Plymouth. With the
migration came different beliefs as well, which is one of the reasons why the
local authorities had to be so strict. I am in favor for Anne Hutchinson, she
was doing what she thought to be right, but because it wasnt inline with
what the puritans or local authorities thought, she was wrong. These two
documents work together to show how closed-minded they were back then.

At the same time, it was during a developing, soon to be nation, if the local
leaders werent strict, little things like some one preaching what they
believed could cause a huge set back. I agree that it was cruel and unfair,
but life isnt fair and it never will be, no matter what time period you live in.
After reading these articles the biass seemed to be against Anne
Hutchinson and more towards Governor Winthrop. I am sure there were
plenty of people who were banished before and after Anne, but because she
caught more attention and had a greater amount of passion for her beliefs
she is well known. It is eye opening to see what people went through back in
those days. It was a time when the freedoms that we enjoy today were not
present. We have freedom of speech which if Anne had; she never would
have been on trial in the first place.