A Threat to Puritan’s Government: Anne Hutchinson

Anne Hutchinson Trial

According to the Puritan’s, Anne Hutchinson was a threat to their government. Puritans believed that if a person knew of a crime that was committed and if they did not make the government aware, they were just as guilty as the person who committed the crime. Today we view this as they thought that they had to be this “perfect” community, they wanted to be called a “city upon a hill”. If people, such as Anne Hutchinson, were not publicly punished and people thought that it was okay to associate with people who were preaching against the government’s ideology, their society would fail. The deputy governor indicated that “[she] hath so forestalled the minds of many by their resort to her meeting that now she hath a potent part in the country”(39). The government is worried that other people in the civilization will follow in Hutchinson’s footsteps to go against the government’s leaders. They are concerned that if this event were to happen that the foundation of their community would fall, guilty by association. On page thirty-six, Hutchinson asked the governor what law she broke. He explains that since she was supporting her brother-in-law’s sermons, she was just as guilty as he was. “If he knows him guilty and conceals him he is guilty of the same”(36). According to the Puritans,

The government as accused her as being a threat to the community covenant. According to Puritan belief, the community covenant was a “contract that God made”(31) to ensure that the “entire community must follow God’s laws as interpreted by Puritan leaders”(31). Since Governor Winthrop charged her of breaking the fifth commandment, which is “honor thy father”, the community now was at risk of punishment from God. If Hutchinson was not penalized for this wrongdoing, the governor could have put the whole community at danger. Winthrop thought that Hutchinson was not honoring the people of the Puritan community. “Honor thy father” means that the Puritans are meant to respect the noble people of their community. The Puritans wanted everyone in their community to model themselves after the noble people. Hutchinson was not following the laws of the community and if every single person does not follow the laws of the Puritans exactly, their whole civic will be put out of sorts

The Puritan government also saw her as a threat towards how their society runs. Anne Hutchinson had been holding meetings in her house where she taught different sermons that was not approved of by the church or government. Winthrop sates that her actions were “not tolerable nor comely in the sight of God nor fitting for her sex”(35). The government did not like that Hutchinson had set off the balance of gender roles in their society. By doing what a man would normally do, Hutchinson was not following the laws of the Puritans. Puritans thought that men and women could not share their jobs. They each had jobs that the other could not do. In this instance, Hutchinson could not teach the words of the Bible because it was a man’s job. Winthrop also stated that she would not have been able to instruct men. He then asks her if “a man should come and say, ‘Mrs. Hutchinson, I hear that you are a women that God hath given his grace unto and you have knowledge in the word of God. I pray instruct me a little.’ Ought you not to instruct this man”(36)? Hutchinson responds that she might instruct this man if this event shows itself but she also questions if the court thinks that is it not okay for her to teach women. Winthrop goes on to not answer her question directly. She questions why is it not okay for her to instruct men but it is allowed to teach women. Hutchinson believes that she has not broken any laws. Winthrop does not like that their society’s gender roles are at risk and that Hutchinson has the ability to throw their whole system off track.