Religious Liberty In John Winthrop's The Trial Of Anne Hutchinsonson

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The “Trial of Anne Hutchinson” written on 1637, was during the period where women are to subject to the man. Hutchinson being a woman did affect her trial. This is seen in the trial with Governor John Winthrop. He mentioned that she had done things that are not “fitting” for her sex. Not only did she get into trouble with the churches, who were headed by man, but was also accused for promoting her opinions that salvation is God’s gift that does not need to be earned. On the other hand from John Winthrop’s “Speech to the Massachusetts General Court” in July 3, 1645, he describes about two kinds of liberty, natural and moral. “Natural” liberty was liberty to do good or evil; it is based on one’s opinion. This form of liberty is less inconsistent …show more content…

“Natural” liberty, according to Winthrop, makes man more evil. Hutchinson’s and Winthrop’s understanding of religious liberty were different. Hutchinson believed that many early Puritans were not experiencing religious freedom, but were constrained by their belief that salvation is through good works, rather than grace. John Winthrop, however, believed that Hutchinson was wrong. He believed that religious liberty was moral liberty that is based under Christ’s authority. Through the reading of the articles and textbook, I learned that many early Puritans sought for a land where their particular beliefs were dominant; they were not seeking for religious freedom.
Chapter 3: Creating Anglo-America
The “Memorial against Non-English Immigration” was written in December 1727 about non-English immigrants. The petitioners of this article noted that …show more content…

The “Speeches,” written in 1762 and 1763, informs how the Pontiac rebellion occurred. Neolin, “a religious prophet who helped to inspire the rebellion” criticizes that the Indians have lost their culture (Foner, 2014). They have become dependent on the European’s culture, traditions, and even weapons. Instead of using their bows and arrows, they depended on European guns and knives. Though they may believe that they were free, the Indians were bounded by the European ways. The second passage about the life of a slave was written by Olaudah Equiano in 1789. This runaway slave from the West Indies was caught into slavery again, but his new slave owner was kind and not abusive. Robert King, Equiano’s slave owner, entrusted him with clerk duties and taught him new skills (The Life of Olaudah Equiano Chapter V Summary and Analysis, para 5-6). The passage emphasized on the procedure of auctioning slaves and the emotional struggles that the slaves have. He stresses on the emotional aspects when slaves are separated from their family and friends. Equiano does this because he wants the Christian slave owners to display their belief in religion and liberty. This is also a way to emphasize the cruelty of the Whites. This passage is about slave trade, and how slaves lose their friends and families to the

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