Explore the rebellious life of Thomas Morton, who faced exile from Puritan Massachusetts for his wild ways and alliances with Native people. Discover the vibrant tensions at Marymount, where festivities brazenly clashed with rigid Puritan values. Laughter arises as Morton's satire critiques the Pilgrims’ strict lifestyle. The narrative dives into his ambitious challenges against colonization and the chilling impact of the Pequot War, ultimately highlighting the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping America’s history.
Thomas Morton's establishment of Merrymount highlighted a contrasting, joyful lifestyle that resisted the strict Puritan ethos, showcasing early colonial cultural conflicts.
The banning of Morton's book 'New English Canaan' exemplifies the Puritans' fear of dissenting narratives, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in historical storytelling.
Deep dives
The Context of Early Colonization
In the early 1630s, Thomas Morton arrived in New Plymouth, Massachusetts, where two distinct groups of settlers existed: the Puritans and separatist Pilgrims. These groups, while seeking religious freedom, held conflicting views on how to interact with the Native American populations and utilize the land. Morton's perspective challenged the prevailing norms by emphasizing the potential for cooperative relationships with Indigenous peoples. His experiences and observations highlighted the contested nature of colonial narratives and painted a more complex picture of America's beginnings than traditional histories often acknowledge.
Morton's Rebellion Against Puritan Ideals
Morton established a settlement called Merrymount, where he embraced a lifestyle of revelry that clashed with the severe Puritan beliefs of the nearby Pilgrims. His community celebrated life, joy, and trade with Native Americans, which the Puritans condemned as immoral and ungodly. This clash culminated in a confrontation where the Pilgrims sought to arrest Morton, revealing their fear of his influence and differing philosophy. Morton's lightheartedness and criticism of Puritan rigidity served as a form of resistance against their dominant narrative of piousness and control.
The Banning of 'New English Canaan'
Morton's book 'New English Canaan' attempted to present an alternative vision of colonial life and the relationships between settlers and Native Americans. This book was perceived as a threat by the ruling Puritans, leading to attempts to suppress its publication, which marked one of the earliest examples of book banning in America. The Pilgrims feared Morton's portrayal of their actions and ideals, which contrasted sharply with their own narrative of divine providence and superiority. Despite their efforts, Morton's message resonated, highlighting the dangers of narrative control and the suppression of dissenting voices.
Legacy and Resilience of Ideas
Morton's ideas persisted even after his subsequent exiles and criticisms, revealing the resilience of alternative narratives in shaping American history. His vision of a more collaborative existence with Native populations stood in stark contrast to the violent and exclusionary practices of the colonizers, anticipating future conflicts and the long-term implications of colonialism. Even after his death, Morton's book influenced later American thinkers and writers, suggesting that despite attempts at silencing dissent, ideas can endure and challenge dominant narratives. Thus, the ongoing relevance of Morton's story illustrates the importance of recognizing multiple perspectives in historical discourse.
By the time his book went to press in London, on November 18, 1633, Thomas Morton had been exiled from the Puritan colonies in Massachusetts. His crimes: drinking, carousing, and — crucially — building social and economic ties with Native people. His book outlined a vision for what America could become. A very different vision than that of the Puritans.
But the book wouldn't be published that day. It wouldn't be published for years. Because agents for the Puritan colonists stormed the press and destroyed every copy.
Today on the show, the story of what's widely considered America's first banned book, the radical vision it conjured, and the man who outlined that vision: Thomas Morton, the Lord of Misrule.
To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.