Heretic Hutchinson and the Colony of Chaos

In Sarah Vowell's book The Wordy Shipmates, a romp through Puritan New England in the 1600's, she spends much of the time with two individuals depicted here.  John Winthrop was both the religious and political leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Anne Hutchinson was an upstart woman who stirred up trouble by leading Bible studies at her house, then by leading her own sermons and interpreting theology in defiance of the local clergy. She also had some crazy ideas about women's rights and social equality, confirming their suspicion that she was the Whore of Babylon conducting orgies in her living room.

All of which got her put on trial and banished from the colony.

What makes this story so interesting to me is that she remained defiant through her trial and banishment at a time when there really weren't many options. It wasn't as easy as going down the road to the next town, because there wasn't a next town.  But her followers were so devoted that many of them left Massachusetts with her and eventually settled what is now Portsmouth, Rhode Island. They basically BUILT a whole new settlement where they could do what they damn well pleased. Which remains true to this day. (Have you BEEN to Rhode Island?)

Fun fact: Governor Michael Dukakis pardoned her conviction and revoked her banishment in 1987. Just in time. Come back, Anne! Massachusetts misses you!