Lecture Notes: Euro American Women and Colonial Era

Introduction

Lecture focuses on Euro-American women and their societal roles during the Colonial Era.
Examines the Puritans, a group of religious dissenters from Europe, and their influence on early American society.

Coverture: Legal principle where women were first owned by their fathers and then by their husbands.
- Reflects the patriarchal nature of Euro-American society.
- Men controlled households, courts, governments, and churches.

Puritans settled in New England, often mistakenly referred to as "pilgrims."
- Pilgrim: Term commonly misused; initially meant someone on a religious journey.
Puritans aimed for a pure interpretation of the Bible, opposed to Catholic practices.
Predestination: Belief that individuals were destined for heaven or hell from birth.
- Material success was viewed as a sign of being "on God's team."
- Rejection of Catholic practices like prayer or confession for salvation.

Midwife and religious layperson who challenged Puritan beliefs.
- Educated in theology by her father, a proponent of female education.
Questioned the Covenant of Works (material success as a sign of divine favor).
- Proposed the Covenant of Grace: Inner grace, not material wealth, indicated one's divine favor.
Her ideas gained popularity among women and the poor.

Hutchinson was tried for heresy, a serious crime second only to witchcraft.
- Trial involved theological debates; her education enabled her to hold her ground.
Accused of heresy for claiming communication with God, which was deemed impossible for women.
Punishment: Banishment from the community; she moved to Rhode Island with her family.
- The family faced a tragic end when their town was attacked by Native Americans.

The lecture highlights the struggles of women like Anne Hutchinson in a patriarchal society.
Introduces the context for discussing witchcraft in the next part of the lecture.