Anne Hutchson

Anne was the daughter of Francis Marbury (a dissident Puritan clergyman) and Bridget Marbury. She became an acclaimed religious leader of the 17th century who believed in the doctrine of antinomianism. A prominent figure in the New England, American colonies, was an exponent of religious freedom, religious tolerance and civil liberties. .Her own interpretation of the Sermons and her belief in antinomianism was not accepted by the majority. She stressed on the covenant of grace was against the views of the majority of Puritans in Massachusetts. In 1637 at a synod of Congregational churches she was condemned as a heretic and banished. Many are of the opinion that she was targeted and brought down because of her gender. The Puritan society in which she lived was not accustomed to her openness in matters of religion and her frank display of thoughts. She may have also been victimized for going against the established church and the government of the time. She was considered a threat to the established order in the Massachusetts Bay as her views were much ahead of her time. She conducted informal meeting on religion, cleared religious quires and interpreted the Scriptures like a minister which was disliked by the Puritans of that time. She interpreted the Bible in her own with a focus on the rights of women and the racial prejudice against the Native Americans which was her deep concern. Her popularity grew and she attracted a large gathering which included women as well as men. Sir Henry Vane , the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 became her ardent follower. As the members swelled, it was no longer possible to hold religious discussions at her residence. So she had to move to the local church to conduct these meetings. She was labeled as a heretic and accused her for blasphemy. In March 1638, on grounds of dissent against the Puritan orthodoxy, the First Church in Boston excommunicated her from the Puritan Church. Later at East Chester, New York, in 1643,she was killed by a group of Indians