Considered one of the earliest American feminists, Anne Hutchinson was a spiritual leader in colonial Massachusetts who challenged male authority—and, indirectly, acceptable gender roles—by preaching to both women and men and by questioning Puritan teachings about salvation.
One of the first New England colonists to challenge the authority of the Puritan leaders in religious matters, Anne Hutchinson preferred following her conscience over blind obedience. Her protest helped to establish the principle of freedom of religion.
