Anne Hutchinson

SOAPS Analysis: The Massachusetts Bay Colony Case against Anne Hutchinson (1637)

 

Speaker:

This piece was produced during the trial of Anne Hutchinson. The speakers are Anne Hutchinson and Governor John Winthrop. Anne Hutchinson held meetings at her house where she would express her religious beliefs and share her philosophies. Her ideas were considered a threat to the church and the government. Hutchinson claimed her had religious authority which challenged the beliefs at the time. Winthrop, one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, knew how dangerous Anne was. His view of government was somewhat authoritarian and he tried to avoid giving rights and power beyond the religiously approved individuals of the Boston Church. Hutchinson is calmly defending herself and accepts everything she has done, while Winthrop tries to point out all her mistakes and ridicules her. She knows what she has done is no crime, but the church thinks otherwise and is defensive after she has challenged it. There is some bias because Anne truthfully answers the questions she is asked by Winthrop and he tries to twist her words and asks her many questions.

                “Mrs. H: Did I ever say they preached a covenant of works, then?

 Dep. Gov: If they do not preach a covenant of grace clearly, then they preach a covenant of works.

 Mrs. H: No Sir, one may preach a covenant of grace more clearly than another, so I said.

 Dep. Gov: We are not upon that now, but upon position.”

Occasion:

The time in which this primary source is from is 1637 in a courtroom. This was written to document the trial of Anne Hutchinson and keep the records. This was later published to explain Anne’s trial and her fight for justice. Because Anne’s trial made such an impact on history, it was important to share it for inspiration.

Audience:

At the time, the audience was the community of Massachusetts Bay, but later in history it serves as an inspiration to people who fight for their rights and beliefs. The audience during the time was full of supporters and opposes of Hutchinson. Today, this is inspiration to many to challenge the norm. The speakers use the language of the time which makes it harder to understand today, but the general idea is still there.

Purpose:

The purpose of the passage is to convey Anne’s message during her trial and express the opposing side’s views. As a woman at the time, Anne views and growing power was threatening the church and social standards. When she was forced to go to court, she made her message clear. She strongly defended herself and her beliefs when being pressured by Winthrop. This passage allows us to remember Anne’s strong personality and her willingness to fight for what she believed in any situation. This document tries to make you back up Anne’s arguments because it shows her calmness in the situation and the strong arguments she creates. She even refers to the Bible, something very sacred to the Boston Church and points out a specific passage to justify her argument. By doing this she tries to spark a reaction with the very religious audience by telling them her beliefs obey the Bible.  

Subject:

The subject of the document is the trial of Anne Hutchinson after challenging the Boston Church. Hutchinson faced prosecution for practices and beliefs deemed threatening to the stability of church and commonwealth. The ministers began so see her as a threat and because of her antinomianism beliefs; they decided to try her in court which ended in her banishment. They also disliked her belief that she had the authority to interpret the Bible when that was left to the ministers of the Church. The document shows the dialogue of the speakers during the trial and allows you to read the argument and rebuttal of each person.