Name ________________________________
American Colonial Portraits
Ann Hutchinson Biography
“I have been guilty of wrong thinking.”
Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643)
She believed that she could talk directly
to God – the Puritans believed that you
could only speak to God with a minister
present.
She spoke against the Puritan Church in
the meetings that she held in her home.
This was against the law for men and
especially for women. The Puritan
leaders believed that women should
obey men and that only men could be
ministers.
The Puritans did not have a Constitution and
used the bible as their guide to society and law.
If you went against the law you could be
physically punished by whippings, put in jail,
banished, or even executed.
AT A GLANCE
Ann Hutchinson went against the male leaders
of Puritan society by standing up for what she
believed in. After being on trial alone, she was
condemned for her opposition to the Puritan
rule and banished from the Massachusetts Bay
colony in 1637.
Can you imagine standing on trial without even
a lawyer to defend you? Well that is exactly
what Anne Hutchinson had to do. She was
accused of going against Puritan laws and faced
a group of 49 strong and educated men who
had a lot of power. She was charged with
defying this group because of the following
actions:
She held bible study meetings in her
home and often had close to 100 men
and women attend. – The Puritan
church forbade meetings that were not
an official church gathering.
Her trial caused a great divide among the
Puritans, and ministers feared that there might
even be a Civil War if Hutchinson wasn’t
removed from their society. During her trial
she skillfully used the bible and the words of
the ministers who spoke against her in an
attempt to prove her innocence.
Hutchinson came to America for freedom and
ironically she was being condemned for her
religious beliefs. In 1637, Hutchinson was
convicted of going against Puritan rule and
banished from the colony never to return
again. After she left the Massachusetts Bay
Colony, she was killed during a Native American
attack in 1643. Her entire family including her
husband and their 15 children were killed
except for her youngest daughter.
Roger Williams Biography
“The greatest crime in the world is not
developing your potential. When you do what
you do best, you are helping not only yourself,
but the world.”
Roger Williams (1603-1683)
AT A GLANCE
Roger Williams was a Christian minister
who came to America for religious and
political freedom. Banished from the Puritan
colony for his beliefs, Williams is credited for
founding the colony of Rhode Island in 1636.
He also sought peace with neighboring
Native American tribes and the separation
of church and state.
Williams was born in England to a rich
family and from a very young age became
interested in religion and politics. At the
age of 24 Williams graduated from
Cambridge University and shortly after
became a minister and married Mary
Barnard. They would go on to have six
children and move to Boston to seek
religious freedom.
William’s views quickly went against Puritan
thoughts and ideals and in he was banished
from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in
1635.
Williams disagreed with the Puritans in the
following ways.
He strongly felt that Native
Americans had property rights in the
“New World” and should be paid for
their land. The Puritans found
nothing wrong with taking Native
American land without giving them
compensation.
He believed in secularism. This
means the separation of church and
state and that the government
should not be based on religious
principles. The Puritans believed
that the Government should be run
by ministers who followed the Bible.
Williams also believed that
individuals could speak directly to
God through prayer and without a
minister present.
Once exiled from the Puritan colony,
Williams went on to form the colony of
Rhode Island which became a safe place for
those seeking religious freedom, including
Jews and Quakers.
Williams also formed a peace alliance with
the Native Americans living in Rhode Island
by which colonists purchased the titles of
their land. Williams also would go on to
start the first colonial Baptist Church where
he would reside as minister.
Directions
Character Trait Chart
For both Ann Hutchinson and Roger Williams list three character traits to describe
them and one piece of textual evidence that explains why you chose that trait.
Trait
Ann Hutchinson
Explanation
Trait
Roger Williams
Explanation
Directions
Complete the Venn diagram
comparing and contrasting
Hutchinson and Williams.
Ann Hutchinson
Roger Williams
Both