In 1637, Anne Hutchinson, a forty-six-year-old midwife who was pregnant with her sixteenth child, stood before forty male judges of the Massachusetts General Court, charged with heresy and sedition. In a time when women could not vote, hold public office, or teach outside the home, the charismatic Hutchinson wielded remarkable political power. Her unconventional ideas had attracted a following of … of prominent citizens eager for social reform. Hutchinson defended herself brilliantly, but the judges, faced with a perceived threat to public order, banished her for behaving in a manner “not comely for [her] sex.”
Written by one of Hutchinson’s direct descendants, American Jezebel brings both balance and perspective to Hutchinson’s story. It captures this American heroine’s life in all its complexity, presenting her not as a religious fanatic, a cardboard feminist, or a raging crank—as some have portrayed her—but as a flesh-and-blood wife, mother, theologian, and political leader. The book narrates her dramatic expulsion from Massachusetts, after which her judges, still threatened by her challenges, promptly built Harvard College to enforce religious and social orthodoxies—making her the mid-wife to the nation’s first college. In exile, she settled Rhode Island, becoming the only woman ever to co-found an American colony.
The seeds of the American struggle for women’s and human rights can be found in the story of this one woman’s courageous life. American Jezebel illuminates the origins of our modern concepts of religious freedom, equal rights, and free speech, and showcases an extraordinary woman whose achievements are astonishing by the standards of any era.
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An amazing, factual book about the beginnings of the United States and the changes in the Puritan theology. Written by a great granddaughter many times removed, it shows how changes in politics and theology come about with the reading and meditation of scripture and the customs of the day. A great read for someone interested in the early …
It was too much like a philosophical textbook for me. Since I didn’t finish it, you may choose to discard this review.
What a great life! Ann Hutchinson was truly a Mother of the American Spirit! This book, however, is centered on the trials and it is a word-for-word account of an argument about how one is saved. That gets tedious. But along with that are in depth profiles of the major actors of the Mass Bay Colony. Being a resident of MA, I found much of this …
Actually I did not finish this book, which I very very rarely do. I would not recommend.
I didn’t know anything about Hutchinson and this account is well-written, full of details, and completely charismatic- what a woman!
American Jezebel is a very good look at the religious intolerance of the early American colonies, showing why the religious freedom expressed in the First Amendment is so important. This book, while giving an in depth look at the life of Anne Hutchinson, also gives insight into Roger Williams and the founding of Rhode Island, in stark contrast …
This book is informative, but dry, like a high school history book. lost of facts and the author has travelled to and written about the places she describes, but does not evoke the times.
Eye opening about the life and times.
It is full of her dialogue which tends to bog you down. But it helps to show her frame of mind.
Historical true story of Anne Hutchinson. Good insight into women’s ‘work’ and ‘place’ in Colonial America. She was a brilliant, brave woman.
Excellent particularly if you are interested in New England history
Great, detailed read on a little known story of early American history.
wonderful look at colonial religious freedom or lack there of.
It went so far into the theological weeds that I gave up. Disappointing, as I wanted to learn more about her.
Well written history. Great book.
This engrossing history should be required reading for anyone interested in women’s roles in the colonial era. Written by a direct descendant of a woman who fought for her rights in a world dominated and controlled by men. Overlooked and largely forgotten she deserves to be remembered and acknowledged for her fierce independence and ferocious …
I have not been able to finish this book. I lost interest in the book
Very interesting history. Enlightening for 17 th century early New England history.
Helped me understand why Anne Hutchison was really kicked out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Spoiler Alert: It’s all about power.
It was also exciting to see my ancestors names and how they played both good and bad parts in this and what followed.
The story of Anne Hutchinson should be common knowledge, just as her male counterparts and our founding fathers. An important read.