New English Canaan: Text, Notes, Biography & Criticism

by Thomas Morton, Jack Dempsey (Editor)

Until recent facsimile printings without notes, "New English Canaan" (originally published in 1637) has been reprinted only twice, one in Peter Force's "Tracts" (1836) and in 1883 by the Massachusetts Historical Society. This book represents the first edition created from and textually-collated with all known original copies in the world; it also constitutes the first full-length biography of Thomas Morton of "Merrymount" (1576-1647?).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Politics, Banned Books, American, Classics

669 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

1575-1646

Reviews

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever wondered if there was a suppressed alternative narrative to the puritans in New England, this is it.
Thomas Morton founded the New England colony Merrymount in 1623, which was eventually attacked and destroyed by Puritan elements. This book relates his fascinating experiences and adventures. He is strongly supportive of the native population. He speculates that the Native American population may have come from Tartary, which is a brilliant observation.
He brings this same sense of observation to all he does. He admires the native population because they're honest in word and deed. He obviously dislikes the Puritans at Plymouth and holds them responsible for the destruction of the colony he started, Merrymount. If the facsimile edition was a bit hard to read because of the typesetting--an f could also be an s--it also was a pleasure. More than anything, New English Canaan shows another direction that could have been taken if the Puritans, zealots that they were, weren't so determined to destroy the other, competing visions of what the New World could be.

[RYD · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story behind the story is probably what is the most interesting here. Thomas Morton was the original American rebel, butting heads with the Puritans of Plymouth during the 1600s because of his embrace of Indians and the unfettered life. Unfortunately, this book of his is very hard going, given its old language, its time-lost references and the fact that the original typesetter may not have even spoken English.

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the perspective he gave without feeling like he was taking away from the main idea.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

A curious artifact from the early Puritan era in New England, it is a rambling description of Morton's trials and tribulations in what he portrays as a chaotic and dangerous world dominated by a community of colonists who could be considered traitors to the government of their homeland. The setting is the reign of Charles I before the start of the English Civil War, and the Puritans (or "Separtists") in Plymouth & Massachusetts Bay are smack dab in the political middle of things. New England might be thought of as having gotten a head start on the whole civil war thing. Morton's meandering writing is suffused with satire, fabrication and confusion of historical events, and was intended to be politically persuasive back to home at Court toward achieving his own personal goals. Fake News with a 6-month time lag. The interesting historical intro and footnotes by editor Charles Francis Adams Jr (of the Massachusetts Adamses) provide the bulk of the merit of this publication. Morton's own 17th c. writing, although quite grammatical, was typeset in Holland by someone who either couldn't spell in English or was a strict adherent to school of Spelling is a Matter of Personal Preference - it's, in a word, a mess.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious other-side-of-the-story view of an infamous early American

[June]

Not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. I am sure it is good, just not for me.

[Mert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars (%55/100)

New English Canaan by Thomas Morton is a fascinating, irreverent, and often satirical critique of Puritan authority in early colonial America. Morton's prose is a wild blend of classical allusion, biting wit, and ethnographic observation. He offers a rare counter-narrative to the dominant Puritan histories, painting himself as a kind of pagan libertine resisting theocratic rigidity. While the text can be dense and stylistically erratic, it rewards patient readers with insights into early American cultural clashes and colonial power dynamics. The critical apparatus in this edition adds valuable context, helping modern readers make sense of Morton's flamboyant voice and the controversial world he inhabited.

[Donovan Erutse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the contrast between the indigenous people and the puritans. However, I absolutely hated the writing style. Not my cup of tea but his point of view really does matter! So, it wasn't a total waste of my time :)

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

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