The Trial of Anne Hutchinson

Separatists and Plymouth Colony

Separatists are a group of extreme Puritans who left England for Holland in 1607-1608 because they believed that the Catholic Church (and the church of England) had been corrupted. But then fear their children are being tempted by Dutch city life and leave for the New World. In 1620, Separatists head for the New World on the Mayflower → Plymouth company pays for "separatists" to settle in New England → Form Plymouth Colony

5th Commandment

"Honour thy father and thy mother." Interpreted in Puritan society as respecting anyone you are deferential to, including ministers and members of the elect, which Hutchinson was not

The Trial

1637. Hutchinson charged with encouraging the sowers of sedition (violated the 5th commandment "honour thy father and thy mother"), holding meetings in her home conflicting with god's view of her sex, and slandering ministers with the claim they preached a covenant of works.

Roger Williams

A Puritan dissenter banished in 1635 who believed in 'good works' and that the clergy in Massachusetts Bay had too much power and that there should be a separation between church and state. Escapes to Narragansett Bay where he founds Rhode Island based on religious tolerance with other progressive ideas like paying Indians for land. Hutchinson flees here but doesn't agree with many of his ideas.

Puritans

A group of religious people who felt it necessary to leave England (in the 1630s) because they felt that they were being persecuted. Left for the New World in search of religious freedom. They were disgusted with the Church of England. Thought Church of England was corrupt, and they hated indulgences. Believed in predestination, and led by John Winthrop to form a "model Christian Society" in America, a society that Anne Hutchinson threatens.

Banning of Christmas

Christmas was banned by the Court of Massachusetts in 1659. The reason Christmas was banned was because the Puritans said that there was no basis/justification in the Bible for the celebration of Christmas. The celebrations were also very unholy according to the Puritans so there should be no celebration of it. This is significant because it shows how strict the Puritans were in running their society, and how all the society's laws had to have justification in the Bible or it could not be enforced. Everything in Puritan society revolved around the Bible and God.

Great and General Court of Massachusetts

Court presided by Winthrop in 1637 that was the judicial, executive, and legislative branches all in one. It is heavily intertwined with religion, and, due to an old English Law and religious beliefs, bans the use of lawyers. Compromised of the visible elect, or those that have had a revelation that they will go to heaven.

Coveture

Coverture are the set of rules that the Mass. Bay Colony inherits from England. The most important ones are those that explain the societal standing of women. Upon marriage, under English Common Law, a woman's legal and property rights merge with those of her husband (they are passed to the husband). Anne Hutchinson, under this idea, is not supposed to have a lot of power over her husband. But she does. Since the 1630s were a time of coverture, Anne's control over her husband seems really extreme in Puritan society.

Anne Hutchinson

Educated daughter of a dissenting Anglican minister who marries a merchant. Hosts conventicles in her home and claims to be receiving messages from god. Follows Reverend John Cotton (Puritan leader) to the new world where they are seen as members of the elect in Massachusetts Bay. Her conventicles and criticisms of minister John Wilson teaching a covenant of works made the elect feel uneasy, so they charged her with breaking the 5th commandment, overstepping the bounds of women defined in the bible, and slander. Her belief in antinomialism is also called into question since she says she is getting messages from god. Winthrop believes she may be possessed by Satan.

Conventicles

Gatherings where people come together to discuss scripture and pray. Idea that is frowned upon by the Anglican Church since they are seen as dens of radicals. Hutchinson leads one, and idea frowned upon by many, and it gains a huge following. Is one of the charges laid against her by the Great and General Court, since it is seen as overstepping her bounds defined in the bible.

Indulgences

Indulgences were little slips you could buy from catholic priests to remove all of your sins. This made it easier for rich people to get closer to God than poor people. The idea of predestination was created to combat this, since predestination says that there's nothing you can do to change whether you're going to heaven or hell. Puritans hated indulgences, and viewed their usage in the Catholic and Anglican churches as corrupt

Calvinism and Predestination

John Calvin (1509-1564) believes and teaches that God predetermines who will go to heaven and who will not, and there is nothing you can do in life to change that. This is what Puritan's believe in and becomes an issue in Puritan society in New England (person's only become elect if they have a conversion-*(realization that you have been predestined to be saved)* and sanctification). Puritan's oppose Arminianism (the idea that Christ died for the elect alone and that people by their own free will can achieve faith and salvation). This is why people paid indulgences, and the puritans thought this was corrupt.

"A Model of Christian Charity"

John Winthrop's famous sermon that was the basis for the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony which said that they are creating a city on a hill and all of the world looks upon them. If they don't manage to do this or they fail, they will be severely punished and Christianity will be ruined . This makes them question everything they perceive to a threat to this order, including Hutchinson.

John Wilson

Leading minister in Puritan New England during the 1630s. Says in his sermons that people can prepare for grace to become a member of the elect, something that goes against the beliefs of Puritans. Says that outward behavior is a sign of holiness, and preaches a Doctrine of Preparation saying that people need to be in the right mind set to be converted.

Massachusetts Bay vs. Jamestown

Massachusetts Bay colony was founded under the Puritan ideology of "Just Price", meaning that you should only ever make enough to survive, since any more than that would be sinful. They promoted the idea of a "calling", or work you enjoy that benefits society. Heavily based on creating the model Puritan Society and for this reason brought families Jamestown was founded with the sole intention of creating quick profit, so only young men were brought to the colony.

John Winthrop

One of the elect of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; ruled with very conservative Puritan values in an attempt to create the model Christian Society/a city on a hill which dominated the New England area. Leader of the great and general court of Massachusetts (1637) and was the one who believed that Wheelwright was under Hutchinson's influence.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Puritan group led by Puritan lawyer John Winthrop to the New World in 1629-30 with the intention of creating a model Christian Society so that they can "reform the Anglican Church by example." Its governance was dominated by a small group of leaders who were strongly influenced by Puritan religious leaders. Its governors were elected, and the electorate were limited to freemen who had been examined for their religious views and formally admitted to the local church. Were intolerant of other religions and dissenting views within the colony (Hutchinson and those blamed for the Salem Witch trials) VERY RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT

Absolute Truth

The Puritan belief that god's truth was, and will only ever be, expressed once in the bible.

Society of Deference

The basis of medieval society that carries over into the 1600s that says that people who are of a higher social class than you should be respected and treated as such. Everyone knows their place and no one should overstep it. The father is often seen as the ultimate authority figure. Winthrop and the elect, due to the tight knit communal nature of Purtian New England, charge Hutchinson with breaking the fifth commandment because she isn't respecting the world order.

Doctrine of "Just Price"

The belief Puritans held that no individual should make more than they need to, since this wouldn't be fair to the community and would be sinful in the eyes of god. Goes hand in hand with the idea of a "Calling", or the concept of having a hobby/skill that you enjoy that is also beneficial to society. Another law founded on the basis of religion and their preachings of a simple life

John Wheelwright

The male voice of Hutchinson's concerns that people were being taught a covenant of works. Says that striving after grace is a sure way it hadn't been obtained. (1630s) Is put on trial for sedition in 1637, and it is claimed that Wheelwright us under Hutchinson's control. Is banished from the colony as well as everyone who signed the petition saying that he was a good man and shouldn't be tried. Puritan tolerance, cracks in the city on a hill

Doctrine of Preparationism

The teachings of John Wilson which essentially say that people need to be in the right mindset to be converted. Called a "covenant of works" by critics