In my little sleep room in Hoyme, I have these things:
• window seat
• books
• toothpastes
• toothbrushes
• a comfort chair
• 3 night lights
• 2 winter coats
• a macbook os laptop with a mouse and a keyboard
• one rice cooker
• two bowls, two plates, two spoons, two forks
• school supplies
Something About Pocahontas
The story of Pocahontas was a touching story. This weekend, my brother-in-law and I were discussed about how strong women were in the past and now. Pocahontas came to my mind the way how she left her family behind and married to a stranger from another continent. We were wondered why love has such influence towards women. We can't believe that women are that strong, leaving their families behind and starting a new life.
It is cold for the 13 of you girls from California to tour downtown Boston this morning. Unlike California, the temperature today is below zero. The wind is blowing hard to your face. You could feel the cold deep into your bones. However, the high school educational trip this morning would be a worthwhile experience in your life because you are going to see a statue that you would never forget for the rest of your life. As many of you girls would probably heard about Anne Hutchinson, you must know why this statue played a big role in the women society, and as a tour guide, I have noticed that this statue has been one of many people’s favorite spots. As we approaching the State House, you would see a big black statue of Anne Hutchinson holding a little girl under her shoulder. The little girl was her daughter, Susanna. Because of her religious views and her criticism of the teachings of the Puritan ministers, the magistrates found Anne Hutchinson to be a direct threat to the whole community in Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The Anne Hutchinson Memorial was built in 1922 in honor of her devotion to civil liberty and religious toleration. Anne Hutchinson was born in Lincolnshire, England. She immigrated to Massachusetts Bay with her husband and family in 1634, and she was initially highly regarded in the community because of her intelligence and caring nature (United States History). She was “deeply fascinated by intricate theological issues and held weekly discussion groups in her home following Sunday services” (Mass Moment). She believed that God revealed himself to individuals without the aid of clergy. John Winthrop, a governor in Massachusetts Bay, was suspicious of Hutchinson’s views and “cautioned that women could do irreparable damage to their brains by pondering deep theological matters” (United States History). Therefore, Winthrop and John Cotton, a leader among of the first-generation of Puritan divines in Massachusetts, led the opposition to Hutchinson. They charged that Hutchinson and her followers were guilty of the “antinomian heresy,” or against God’s moral law (United States History).
Thus, Anne Hutchinson was brought to trial before the General Court in 1637, found guilty and banished from the Bay Colony. The magistrates believed it highly inappropriate for Hutchinson to instruct men, especially in religious matters (Westerkamp, EBSCO). The magistrates expelled her out of Massachusetts Bay Colony. She, then, moved to Rhode Island and later to New York, where she perished in an Indian raid. Her daughter, Susanna, was the only sole survivor of the attack by Siwanoy Native Americans in 1643. Susanna was spared because of her red hair, which the Siwanoy had never seen (United States History, Mass Moment).
Indeed, Hutchinson was a brilliant woman. She was brave enough to defend herself in the court intelligently against the magistrates in a society where women were not allowed to have public voice. Her religious views were a threat not only to the Puritan clergy, but also to the civil authorities of Massachusetts. Anne Hutchinson’s statue reminded us of her advocacy to freedom of religion and her advocacy to women’s rights.
Sources:
1. “Anne Hutchinson.” United States History. Oct. 3, 2010. < http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h577.html>. Mar. 3, 2005. Oct. 3, 2010.
2. “Anne Hutchinson Banished.” Mass Moments. Mar. 3, 2005. Oct. 3, 2010. < http://massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=88>.
3. Westerkamp, Marilyn J. “Anne Hutchinson, Sectarian Mysticism, and the Puritan Order.” EBSCO. 1990. Oct. 3, 2010.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/resultsadvanced?vid=2&hid=8&sid=a07a6b40-7e90-
41ceb008b0063058c3a5%40sessionmgr14&bquery=(Anne+AND+Hutchinson%2c+AND+Sectarian+AND+Mysticism%2c+AND+the+AND+Puritan+AND+Order)&bdata=JmRiPXJmaCZ0eXBlPTEmc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZl>.
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