IndexWomen's Rights in Colonial TimesAnne HutchinsonAnne BradstreetAbigail AdamsThroughout history, there have been many strong women who have proven that they are no less valuable than men and fight for equal rights. These women are known as feminists. In colonial times in America, women were afforded fewer legal rights than men. Even with fewer legal rights, women were still able to influence the course of events and leave indelible impressions. Anne Hutchinson, Anne Bradstreet, and Abigail Adams were strong women who provided strong evidence that women are no less powerful than men. Anne Hutchinson championed women's rights through her bold Bible studies. Anne Bradstreet was an advocate for women's rights through her poetry, and Abigail Adams pushed for women's equality in education and legal rights. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Women's Rights in Colonial Times In Colonial America, women were presented with fewer rights than men. Women could not vote for elected officials of any kind and did not exercise political or representational rights (Daschofsky, 2017). Unmarried women could own and sell land, create contracts, and could be responsible for actions that took place on their land. After marriage, these rights were transferred to the husband. Widowed women enjoyed the same rights as unmarried women and could also inherit their husband's property after his death and manage his business. Anne Hutchinson was one of the first known feminists in America. Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson was born in England and is the daughter of Francis Marbury (Heppler 2006). In her childhood, she was educated by her father while he was under house arrest for his religious indifference towards the Church of England. In addition to the valuable education she received from her father, she was encouraged to question everything. Anne Hutchinson was taught to think for herself and introduced critical thinking to the colonies upon her arrival. He led the first organized attack on the Puritan religious establishment controlled by an all-male council. Anne Hutchinson arrived in the new world in 1634. While living in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, she occupied the position of midwife. She was influenced and inspired by the sermons of John Cotton. John Cotton was an Anglican minister, who believed that redemption came through the grace of God and not through the deeds and good deeds performed by an individual. As time passed, Anne Hutchinson began holding meetings in her home to discuss the “Covenant of Works” with other women in the community and review John Cotton's sermons. The first meetings conducted by Anne Hutchinson in her home were strictly to listen to and discuss the sermons preached by John Cotton. As the meetings continued, the discussions evolved into Anne Hutchinson's interpretations of the sermons. These gatherings became more popular throughout the Massachusetts Bay Colony, attracting seventy to eighty people per gathering. Not only women participated in these meetings, but also men. Hutchinson filled the unspoken role of minister. As Hutchinson's popularity increased, colony officials became angry and accused her of attempting to disrupt the male role in families. Colony officials believed it was a sin for a woman to lead a worship service of any kind. They didn't believe a woman was capable ofdo it. While most citizens supported Hutchinson, the few who were on the council with strong influences opposed her. After claiming that God had introduced himself to Hutchinson, Hutchinson was forced to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His family traveled to Portsmouth and later to the Newport settlement. After her husband's death, she and her children moved to New Netherlands and were later killed during an Indian raid. Through Hutchinson's teachings and actions, she demonstrates that women can be independent. Show individuality and fight for true religious freedom. She supported women's rights and taught women that they are capable of thinking for themselves and that they should also question things. Anne Bradstreet valued female independence and wanted women to be able to express themselves freely. Anne Bradstreet Anne Bradstreet was another woman who pushed for women's rights in early America. He wrote many poems, which we still reflect on today. Throughout her works, she shows the conflicts she experienced as a woman, a writer, and a Puritan. Anne Bradstreet was the first recognized woman poet of the New World (Anne Bradstreet). The first book containing his works was “The Tenth Muse”. Bradstreet's poems were stolen by his brother-in-law, John Woodbridge. He brought his works back to England without her knowledge or consent. Prior to publication, John Woodbridge also constructed some of his works for publication. He believed that by adding them to Bradstreet's poems, he could justify keeping his works without his consent. He published "The Tenth Muse" in hopes of gaining praise for himself. This action affected him negatively. Once people read the book, they could see that a woman had written the poem in it based on the point of view in which the situations and individuals were projected. Among Bradstreet's works, there is the poem “In honor of that high and mighty princess, Queen Elizabeth”. This poem talks about the power and strength with which Queen Elizabeth ruled her country. In the poem “In honor of that high and mighty princess, Queen Elizabeth" Bradstreet says, "Was ever a people better governed than hers?" Do foreign shores resound? Ships more invincible than those of Spain, her enemies She harried, plundered, sank her Army. His majestic troops advanced to the walls of Lisbon, Don Antonio had right to settle. She frankly aided the Franks' (brave) anguished king, the United States now sings his fame. The Tenth Muse", where he praises Queen Elizabeth's achievements. He gives credit to Queen Elizabeth, proving that a woman is fully capable of ruling a country and that the country will continue to prosper. He also states how Queen Elizabeth assisted a king in a stressful moment. It attests that men are no longer powerful and look to women for help in stressful situations. England prospered most when it was under the rule of Queen Elizabeth. It opens people's eyes, showing that women don't need a man to think or act for them. As women begin to push for more rights, Abigail Adams advocates for women to have access to the same quality education that men are exposed to. Abigail Adams Abigail Adams was born in 1744. She was married to John Adams, the second president of the United States of America. America. He was an intelligent person and spoke softly. When John Adams was abroad and could not stay at home for long periods of time, she ran the family farm and sold the goods that had been imported from Europe so that her family would remain.