In 1630 a group of people known as the Puritans
crossed the Atlantic to build their own society based
upon their own religious beliefs. Once here they
established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Within the
Massachusetts Bay Colony the church held all the
power and ran the colony based upon religious views.
The Puritans created a tightly knitted community,
because many settlements were isolated from one
another. So the Puritans relied upon their tightly knit
community and loyalty to religious leaders to help them
survive. However the settlement did face their share
of challenges especially with religion and the most
known case is that of Anne Hutchinson. She
criticized ministers who preached the Covenant of
Works (salvation could be earned by good behavior).
She did not believe that good behavior could overcome
sin, she elieved in the Covenant of Grace (only god's
grace could help one overcome sinfulness). Anne
Hutchinson was accused of violating laws of family,
church, and colony. She hreatened the minister's the
Church and the societies beliefs and authority.
What happened to Anne Hutchinson was wrong. No
one should be banished for their own beliefs. Anne
Hutchinson ideas was years ahead of her present
time period. Anne Hutchinson's ideas foreshadow the
coming of freedom of speech , religious tolerance, as
well as the seperateion of religion and state. The
Puritans persecuted Anne Hutchinson sole on her
beliefs, because back then all that seemed to matter
was what someone believed and who that person was
loyal to. The ideas of this time period were not
advanced enough for someone like Anne Hutchinson,
but without her the ideas of today would not have
been set in place. Anen Hutchinson was important to
both people of her time as well as ours, and
banishment is not how someone like her should be
repaid for her courage and knowledge. Anne
Hutchinson has done so much for the future of our
country, and does not deserve ridicul., and she
should not be banished by Puritan Leaders for her
own beliefs and ideas.
Jesse Long
Should Puritan Leaders Banish
Anne Hutchinson?
Friday, September 23, 2011 9:10:46 AM ET
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