American Jezebel

Read
Chapter1:EnemyoftheState

AnneHutchinsonispresent,amalevoiceannouncedfromsomewhereinthecrowdedmeetinghouse,
momentarilyquietingthedinthatfilleditscavernoushall.ThemeetinghouseofCambridge,
Massachusetts,asquarestructureoftimberandclaywithathatchedroof,servedasthecommunityscity
hall,church,andcourthousethelatteritsrolethischillyTuesdayinNovember1637.Hearingthenews
thatthedefendanthadarrived,scoresofbeardedheadsinblackfelthatsturnedtofindtheonewomanin
thecrowd.

TherewasnothingauspiciousaboutAnneHutchinsonsappearanceasshestoodinthedoorway
alongsideseveralmalerelativesandsupporters,awaitingthestartofthetrial.Shewasforty-sixyearsold,
ofaverageheightandbearing,withanunremarkableface.Herpetticoatfellalmosttotheground,
revealingonlythetipsofherleatherboots.Againstthecoldsheworeawoolmantua,orcloak.Awhite
coifcoveredherhair,aswasthecustomoftheday.Besidesthatandherwhitelinensmockand
neckerchief,sheworeallblack.Shewasastrangertonoonepresent,havingministeredasmidwifeand
nursetomanyoftheirwivesandchildren.AllknewhertobeanactivememberofthechurchofBoston,
thewifeofthewealthytextilemerchant,WilliamHutchinson,themotheroftwelvelivingchildren,andthe
grandmotherofone,afive-day-oldboywhojustthatSundayhadbeenbaptized.Therewas,inshort,no
outwardsigntoshowshewasanenemyofthestate.

Enemyshewas,though,indeedthegreatestthreatMassachusettshadeverknown.Morethanafewmen
intheroom,includingseveraloftheministers,consideredherawitch.OthersbelievedtheDevilhad
takenoverhersoul.Thegovernor,JohnWinthrop,whowaswaitinginanantechamberofthe
meetinghousetobeginthetrialoverwhichhewouldpreside,suspectedherofusingherdevilishpowers
tosubjugatemenbyestablishingthecommunityofwomentofostertheirabominablewickedness.

AnneHutchinsonsgreatestcrime,andthesourceofherpower,wastheseriesofpublicmeetingsshe
heldatherhousetodiscussScriptureandtheology.Atfirst,in1635,theeveningmeetingshadbeenjust
forwomen,whothenweregenerallyencouragedtogatherinsmallgroupstogossipandoffermutual
support.Soonscoresofwomen,enchantedbyherintelligenceandmagnetism,flockedtohearher
analysisoftheweeksScripturereading,whichmanyofthempreferredtotheministerslatest
interpretation.Beingawomanveryhelpfulintimesofchildbirthandotheroccasionsofbodilyinfirmities,
[Hutchinson]easilyinsertedherselfintotheaffectionsofmany,anofficialobserved.Herpretensewasto
repeat[theministers]sermons,"thegovernoradded,butwhenthatwasdone,shewouldcommentupon
thedoctrines,interpretpassagesatherpleasure,andexpounddarkplacesofScripture,andmakeitserve
herturn,goingbeyondwholesometruthstosetforthherownstuff.Oneminister,ThomasWeld,
reportedthathercustomwasforherscholarstopropoundquestionsandshe(gravelysittinginthechair)

didmakeanswersthereunto.Thiswasespeciallygrievousinatimewhenthesinglechairineveryhouse
wasfortheuseofthemanalone.

MenhadbeguntoaccompanytheirwivestoHutchinsonsmeetingsin1636,andasheraudiences
swelledsheofferedasecondsessionofreligiousinstructioneachweek,justasthecolonialministers
likedtogiveaThursdaylectureaswellastheirSundaysermon.TheReverendWeldlamentedthat
membersofheraudience,beingtainted,conveyedtheinfectiontoothers,includingsomeofthe
magistrates,somegentlemen,somescholarsandmenoflearning,someBurgessesofourGeneralCourt,
someofourcaptainsandsoldiers,somechiefmenintowns,andsomeeminentforreligion,parts,and
wit.AnneHutchinsonhadsteppedoutof[her]place,inthesuccinctphraseoftheReverendHugh
Peter,ofSalemshehadratherbeenahusbandthanawife;andapreacherthanahearer;anda
magistratethanasubject.

ItwaspainfullycleartoGovernorWinthrop,whohadanexcellentviewofhercomingsandgoingsfromhis
housedirectlyacrosstheroadfromhersinBoston,thatAnneHutchinsonpossessedthestrongest
constituencyofanyleaderinthecolony.Shewas,heconfidedinhisjournal,awomanofahaughtyand
fiercecarriage,animblewitandanactivespirit,andaveryvolubletongue.Hernamewasabsent(on
accountofhersex)fromeveryoffensivepoliticalactanddocument,heobserved,butshewasbehind
themall.Moreboldthanaman,shewasVirgilsduxfoeminafacti,thewomanleadingallthe
actionthebreederandnourisherofallthecountysdistempers,thesowerofpoliticalandreligious
discord.BeforeMistressHutchinsonhadarrivedinAmerica,inthefallof1634,allwassweetnessandlight,
herecalled.Nowthatshewashere,allwaschaos.

ExcerptedfromAmericanJezebelbyEveLaPlante,publishedbyHarperCollinsPublishers.