Nathaniel Morton
Nathaniel Morton was a prominent figure in the early history of Plymouth Colony, arriving with his family in 1623. He held various significant roles, including governor's clerk and secretary of the colony from 1647 to 1685. Throughout his life, Morton was influential and wealthy, contributing to the legal framework of the colony and being an active member of his church community. In 1669, he published "New England's Memorial," a pivotal historical account of the colony that drew upon earlier works by notable figures such as William Bradford and Edward Winslow. While Morton's narrative is considered less detailed than Bradford's "Of Plimmoth Plantation," it filled gaps in historical knowledge, including unique details about the Speedwell, a ship that accompanied the Mayflower but turned back. Additionally, Morton's work is the only known record of the men who signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620. For many generations, "New England's Memorial" served as a foundational history for young students in New England, highlighting its lasting significance in American historical literature.
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Nathaniel Morton
Historian
- Born: 1613
- Died: 1686
Biography
Nathaniel Morton arrived at Plymouth Colony with his family in 1623. He served as the governor’s clerk, amanuensis, and agent in public and private transactions before becoming the secretary of the colony from 1647 to 1685. For the last forty- five years of his life, Morton was one of the most influential and wealthy people in the colony. He drafted several of the laws of the colony and was an important member of his church.
In 1669, he published New England’s Memorial, which is a history of the colony. He used documents from William Bradford and Edward Winslow’s Mourt’s Relation to create the first extensive historical narrative published in Massachusetts. His work was seen to be second best to Bradford’s Of Plimmoth Plantation, because the latter was much more detailed, especially during the earlier period of the colony’s settlement. Even though this was the case, Morton’s work still offered some details that Bradford’s did not, including the account of another ship that set sail with the Mayflower, but had to turn back, the Speedwell. In addition, it is the only account of the men who signed the compact in 1620. Regardless of this debate, Morton’s New England’s Memorial served as the standard history of the first settlement of New England to five or six generations of New England schoolboys.