Thomas Morton (colonist)

Thomas Morton (c. 1579–1647) was an early colonist in North America from Devon, England. He was a lawyer, writer and social reformer who founded the British colony of Merrymount, located in what is now Quincy, Massachusetts. Morton is known in particular for his work in studying Native American culture, and especially for being the author of The New English Canaan, the Ur Example of banned books in America.

Not to be confused with the English playwright Thomas Morton or any of the other people who share his name.


 * The New English Canaan


 * Banned in America: The very first author to have a published work of theirs banned, whose case also provided the origin of the term "maypole".

Literature

 * "The Disturber" by L. S. Davidson Jr., published by Macmillan Company in 1964, is a fictional account of Thomas Morton.
 * Morton appears as a member of the "jury of the damned" summoned by the Devil in Stephen Vincent Benet's short story, The Devil and Daniel Webster.