Club Merrymount

Gustavo Quintero
English 48A
October 5, 2007
Journal #8 William Bradford

Quote:
"And Morton became lord of misrule, and maintained (as it were) a school of atheism....in quaffing and drinking both wine and strong waters in great excess, and some reported,10 worth in the morning. They also set up a maypole, drinking and dancing about it..."( Bradford 127)

Summary:
In Massachusetts, their was a captain by the name of Wollaston. He came over to Massachusetts with slaves and provisions with the intent to start a plantation. With Captain Wollaston came a charismatic and devilish man by the name of Morton. Morton was not religious and was not at all interested in following the strict religious lives that the Pilgrims held themselves to.

Response:
If I were to land in the newly settled America I would definitely want to be hanging around with Morton. Morton, as Bradford writes in his journal, is a atheist and a man that has no problem with enjoying life and partying. He and the people on his settlement drank in excess and drank very potent alcohol. This sounds like one of Americas earliest strip clubs, complete with woman dancing on the poles.Not to sound sexist but in a way this is what Morton has created. Bradford writes in his journal of how the Indian woman would spend days with him "dancing and frisking together". To make this "club" more complete Morton changes the name of Mount Wollaston to Merrymount. Notice how merry is in the name. Could this not describe this place any better. As Scott also said in class, this is where I would want to be in the 1600's. Bradford even goes on to describe the parties as; "the beastly practices of the mad Bacchinalians." These are people who drank and who would rip apart wild animals. Even though they did not rip apart wild animals they did drink heavily.

The ironic thing about William Bradford is that he seems to be jealous of Morton. Maybe deep down inside Bradford wanted a taste of the party life. Bradford keeps calling out Morton on all the devilish things that he does but he offers no punishments for what he does. But on the other hand maybe Bradford was disgusted by Morton. Well either way Morton's settlement is eventually taken down by Mr. John Endicott. He is the man who cuts down the maypole and who sends Morton back to England.

Besides the partying and alcohol consumption that bothered Bradford was the fact that Morton traded with the Native Americans. Morton would trade guns with the Native Americans. He would also teach the Native Americans how to properly aim and fire these weapons. So, in Bradfords eyes, it was a blessing that Morton was eventually taken back to England. One may not agree with Morton's lifestyle but to say the least Morton did treat the Native Americans equally as people.





The man who stopped the party.