Anne and William Hutchinson decided to follow their religious mentor, John Cotton, to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England. In 1634, Anne, William, and their ten surviving children set sail on the Griffin for Boston.

William's mercantile business made him wealthy, and they purchased half an acre lot in what is now downtown Boston, and had a comfortable home built. William's business success continued in Boston, and he invested and made land purchases. Anne became a midwife and also provided the women she assisted with spiritual advice.

They joined the First Church in Boston with John Cotton as its teaching elder, whose theology was somewhat unconventional. Anne's views became even more radical than Cotton's, and did not stand out at first. ¹ Her weekly midwife theological gatherings (conventicles) became well attended and men began attending.

Cotton, Hutchinson, John Wheelwright (Anne Hutchinson's brother-in-law), and Henry Vane, Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor at the time, espoused the covenant of grace (freely bestowed favor and goodwill of God) not the covenant of works (righteous behavior). ² The Free Grace Controversy became known as the Antinomian Controversy, although there were some differences.

The colony's ministers found these teachings unorthodox, and public debate caused religious tensions that the authorities felt the need to quash to tamp down unrest in the colony. John Winthrop, who became Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, played a central part in that.

Anne's views extended to the belief that personal revelation (from God) was the final authority concerning divine revelation, as opposed to the orthodox view that the Bible held final authority. ³

In 1637, John Wheelwright was the first to be called before the General Court to answer charges of sedition and heresy. ⁴