Quiz Thomas Morton New English Canaan
1 Arriving in New England a two years after the arrival of the Pilgrims, Thomas Morton
was deeply impressed by the beauty of the place, a masterpiece of nature that struck him
as being paradisiacal. (true)
2 The place where Morton settled was originally called Passonagessit, but was changed
to Ma-re Mount, or Merry Mount. A celebration was held on May Day, with revels and
merriment after the old English custom. An eighty foot high Maypole was set up with
the help of the Indians and beer was served for the merry occasion. (true)
3 Morton wrote a poem which was affixed to the Maypole. The poem, a mixture of
biblical and classical allusions, bothered the New Plymouth Pilgrims, who could not
understand its meaning and despised classical learning as superfluous, also finding the
Maypole a lamentable spectacle, which they considered to be an idol, calling it the Calf
of Horel. (true)
4 The holidaymakers danced hand in hand around the Maypole and drank to their
hearts’s content while a gleeful song was sung urging them to drink and be merry and to
delight in the joys of Hymen’s joys, in reference to the god of lust. (false, God of
marriage ceremonies)
5 Their harmless mirth greatly annoyed the Pilgrims at New Plymouth, and it wasn’t
long before their annoyance found expression in action against the great monster.
Availing themselves of the fact that many of the Ma-re-Mount residents were away
trading with the Indians, a group of Pilgrims presented themselves to Morton to charge
him with criminal acts. (true)
6 Celebrating the arrest of their rival, the Separatists celebrated the occasion, and weary
from the celebration, fell asleep, for which reason Morton was able to escape into the
night, slamming the door behind him as he did, thus awakening his custodians. (true)
7 With nothing but lightning in the sky to light his way, Morton cut through the woods
eight miles to his home in Ma-re Mount, where he barricaded himself alone with
firearms and ammunition in preparation for the assault of his enemies. (false, two
assistants stood with him)
8 The captors’ leader, Miles Standish, whom Morton satirically called Captain Brine,
pulled his hair in a fury that his honor should have been made to suffer such havoc at
the hands of a monster. He was determined to conjure up some new act to repair the
damage done to his reputation. (true)
9 Standish and eight others approached the premises where the seven-headed hydra, as
they referred to Morton, was ensconced. They bargained with him to surrender, for
which no harm would come to him. Having won their assurance that no harm would
come to any of his household either, Morton delivered himself to them. No sooner had
he done so, than the Captain and his men seized him but did not treat him with violence.
(false, they threw him violently to the ground)
