Who is Thomas Hooker and Anne Hutchinson?

Thomas Hooker (1586–1647) was an English Puritan minister, theologian, and one of the founders of the Connecticut Colony. After graduating from Cambridge University and becoming an ordained minister in the Church of England, Hooker began to embrace Puritan beliefs and was eventually driven out of England for his nonconformity. He traveled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1633, where he became the pastor of the First Church in Newtown (now Cambridge). He was a respected figure among the colonists and was often sought out for advice and counsel. In 1636, Hooker led a group of colonists to settle in the Connecticut River Valley and founded the town of Hartford. He was instrumental in drafting the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which is considered the first written constitution in the United States. Hooker was a prolific writer and his works include “A Survey of the Summe of Church Discipline,” which is considered a classic work of Puritan theology.

Anne Hutchinson (1591–1643) was an English religious reformer and one of the earliest proponents of women’s rights in America. She was a deeply religious woman and was strongly influenced by the Puritan beliefs of her time. After moving to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634 with her husband, Anne began to hold religious meetings in her home, which were attended by both men and women. She questioned some of the established Puritan doctrines and espoused a more personal and individual relationship with God. Her views challenged the authority of the male-dominated Puritan clergy and she was eventually put on trial for heresy. In 1638, she was banished from the colony along with her family and supporters. Anne Hutchinson and her family then moved to Rhode Island, where they helped found the town of Portsmouth. She was later killed in an attack by Native Americans in 1643. Despite her tragic fate, Anne Hutchinson is remembered as a woman of great intelligence, courage, and conviction, and her legacy continues to inspire people to fight for religious freedom and gender equality.