The Courage of Two: Anne Hutchinson, Mary Dyer and the Fight for Freedom of Conscience in Early America
Nancy Kelley
Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company
2026
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We know about America's Founding Fathers but what about its Founding Mothers? It's the mid-1600s before the U.S. became a country. English Puritans are seeking refuge from religious persecution by sailing to the New World. There, in the wilderness of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Anne Hutchinson uses her vast knowledge of the Bible to "preach" to women in her own home. But the elders don't approve of Anne's meetings and her outspokenness. She is accused of heresy and put on trial. Standing her ground, Anne is banished from the colony. Her devoted student, supporter, and friend, Mary Dyer, follows Anne and her family to the even more primitive colony of Rhode Island. In time, Mary spends several years in England, where she learns about Quakerism. Upon her return home, she joins her fellow Quakers in challenging the cruel anti-Quaker laws of Massachusetts. Their convictions severely tested yet sustained by their friendship, Anne and Mary find the courage to stand up and speak out for their beliefs-even at the risk of their liberty and their very lives.
