Glossary

Hawthorne is referring to the historical Anne Hutchinson here. Hutchinson was an educated Puritan wife and mother of 15 who moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from England during the colonial period in America. Hutchinson was put on trial for her religious beliefs. She believed that a person could reach God on their own, while traditionalists and the leaders in her colony believed that a person could only reach God through the Bible or through ministers. Hutchinson was exiled from the colony for the religious uproar she caused. She is one of the first American feminists and supporters of religious freedom.

This figure relates directly to Hawthorne's story and protagonist.

To read more about Anne Hutchinson, go here.