American Jezebel : The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans
Author(s): Eve LaPlante
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 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.
Review(s):
“[A] powerful biography of a woman who refused to still her voice.”
“A powerful and fascinating book that deserves wide reading.”
“[A] well-researched account...LaPlante paints a fascinating portrait...[and] deftly depicts the gritty world of colonial New England.”
“What true heroes can I tell my students about? …read LaPlante’s biography to make [Hutchinson] and her courage come alive.”
“...charming exploration of the life and times of Anne Hutchinson....A personal and appreciative tribute.”
“[t]he most significant woman in pre-Revolutionary America...rescued from obscurity and re-introduced to 21st Century America.”
“[a] spirited biography of Anne Hutchinson… LaPlante’s rendering suggests how deeply resonant that history remains.”
“This book is New England history at its best....it carries with it a message for today as well.”.”
“A vivid account, full of surprising twists and turns...richly documented....”
“American Jezebel is stunning book, exquisitely written, it fills in a crucial piece of American history.”
ISBN: 9780060750565