Merrymount: America's 'Gay Colony' That's Left Out Of History Books

The historical use of the word "pilgrim" likely evokes a very specific image: a man wearing a tall hat and shoes with buckles and a matching black outfit with a large white collar. Socially, pilgrims are often associated with the stringent religious beliefs of the Puritans who sought to separate the Church of England from all Catholic practices. Yet, this was not the mindset of all pilgrims. In fact, there was one American colony that strayed so far from these beliefs that they embraced homosexuality.

Thomas Morton, from Devon, England, had previously visited the New World and he returned to what is now Massachusetts as a trader alongside Captain Richard Wollaston and his men in 1624. Morton, with a background in law, helped the captain establish the trading post known as Mount Wollaston, which quickly grew into a larger colony. In 1626, however, Morton encouraged a rebellion in the colony after finding out that Wollaston had been selling servants into slavery in Virginia.

Wollaston eventually fled the area, leaving Morton in charge of the colony, which was renamed Merrymount. From the very beginning, Morton was a liberal leader, preferring to be called "host" of the colony and making all who resided there free men. Morton had a much closer relationship with the Indigenous people than other pilgrims, something which gained him no support from those in the nearby Plymouth Colony.

America's first queer colony?
Although homosexuality certainly existed amongst the Puritans, it was considered to be a sin and there were harsh penalties for those who were accused. Much of what is known about queer history in this period is learned from looking at the criminal complaints against those accused. It's in the history of Merrymount that the most detailed record of homosexuality among colonists appears.

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