Anne Hutchinson

Similarities to Anne in the Future...

 

Another famous woman in history who shares many similarities with Anne Hutchinson is Susan B. Anthony. ​

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Susan B. Anthony is most widely known for her involvement in the fight for women's suffrage, but she also had experience with the teacher’s union, temperance and antislavery reforms. Susan was born in 1820 and raised in a Quaker family. She was brought up with the belief that everyone should have equality, no matter what color or gender. Her family was active in the antislavery movement and so Susan's belief in equality was strengthened. When she was young, she worked as a teacher where she learned about unequal payment based on gender. Because women were not accepted at the time, Anthony could not speak publicly about her ideas and so she focused her time on fighting for women's suffrage in hopes that gaining the right to vote would lead to equality for women. In 1851, Susan was introduced to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and they fought for women's suffrage together. In 1853, she campaigned for equal property rights for women in New York. Later in 1854, she joined the American Anti-Slavery Society and encountered much hostility for her beliefs. Anthony attended the 1856 National Women’s Rights Convention where she used her energy and oratory skills to speak about the need for printed materials encouraging women's suffrage. Stanton and Anthony founded the American Equal Rights Association and in 1868 published the association's radical newspaper, The Revolution. Susan also founded the National Woman Suffrage Association which was formed to push for the ratification of enough state suffrage amendments to force Congress to approve a federal amendment. She and Stanton also opposed the 14th and 15th amendments for not enfranchising women. Anthony was arrested for voting in the 1872 presidential campaign and was found guilty and fined $100. In 1876, Susan led a woman’s protest at the Centennial delivering a "Declaration of Rights" along with a list of grievances which women have against a government. Anthony and Stanton were determined to keep the women's rights movement forever remembered in history and by using Anthony’s diaries and papers they wrote the History of Woman Suffrage. 

 

Both Anne Hutchinson and Susan B. Anthony challenged the social norms at the time and were not afraid to take action and speak for their beliefs. First of all, both women defied the normal gender roles of the time. During Anne's time, women had little power in government and the church. The only ones with power in government were men who were members of the church. Anne paid little attention to those who disagreed with her and did what she believed. She even gained acceptance from some men by holding meetings open to both women and men. She also defied the church's gender roles by expressing her right to interpret the Bible herself when interpretation was only for male ministers. In court, when Anne had to deal with men denying her beliefs, she stood up for her philosophies and did not let them intimidate her. Like Anne, Susan B. Anthony stood up for her beliefs in a time when women were not accepted in society. At the time of Susan B. Anthony, women were seen as inferior to men. Women were supposed to be homemakers and had few job opportunities outside of the house. As a Quaker, Anthony believed in equality and so she fought for African Americans as well for women's suffrage. She used her oratory skills and her passion for the cause to gain support. She tried to spread the word to other women and gain their support by creating newspaper. She also challenged the government when she attempted to vote and was denied and arrested because it was a right only for men. She also tried to change the 14th and 15th amendments because they excluded women. Anne and Susan also are similar because they fought for those with fewer rights. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, women, outsiders, and those not belonging to the church were excluded from all government. Anne fought for them by expressing her philosophies and fighting for her beliefs. In trial, she defended herself but fought for the rights of others at the same time. Susan also fought for temperance and antislavery. Because of her Quaker background, she hoped for equality and so she fought for many different causes, but primarily women's suffrage. These two remarkable women are similar in many ways because they spoke their beliefs and fought for others.