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.

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.