Thomas Morton

(1 . What was the cause of the enmity that developed between Thomas Morton and his group and the Pilgrams at Plymouth ? What was his major offense

The harsh reaction of the Pilgrims to Morton was explained only in part by their abhorrence of the Maypole incident . They also were offended by his open ridicule of their society and his practice of conducting Anglican services at Merry Mount . Perhaps of even greater concern was the fact that Morton traded firearms for furs with the local Indians - a practice that the Pilgrims believed

was their exclusive preserve

In 1628 , Plymouth authorities dispatched Miles Standish to deal with their troublesome neighbor . Morton and his associates were too drunk to resist he was taken into custody and exiled to a small nearby island to await transportation back to England . There he was supplied with provisions by sympathetic Indians and managed to escape on his own and return to England . He reappeared in Plymouth the following year and promptly ran into difficulties with the officials . His property was confiscated and he was again sent home . Demonstrating life-long persistence , Morton returned to Massachusetts in 1643 and was promptly imprisoned in Boston . Following his release , he was exiled to Maine where he remained for the rest of his life (2 ) Morton was sent back to England to be punished , but each time he escaped punishment . Why

Thomas Morton values , and relations to the more familiar swashbuckling Cavaliers of Europe need to be carefully explained . According to his own self- , Morton was the university-educated son of a soldier devoted to the British crown and old English ways , and a staunch supporter of the Church of England , its liturgy , and its holy days

His portrait of the Indians and attempt to show how , despite their uncivilized state , share many values with the traditional Englishmen whom he had taken to be his audience . The Indians ' personal modesty hospitality to strangers , respect for authority , and even religious views mirror those of England , and their contentment surpasses that of the English because of their greater closeness to nature . This was the reason behind escape from punishment of Morton in England

Resources

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