Samuel Gorton

Samuel Gorton. He was an early settler and radical religious thinker in New England, whose unorthodox beliefs and confrontations with Puritan authorities made him a significant, if controversial, figure. After being banished from several colonies, he founded the settlement that would become Warwick, Rhode Island, securing a charter from the Parliament of England that affirmed the land rights of his followers. His life and writings, particularly his concept of universal equality before God, positioned him as a forerunner of ideas concerning religious liberty and civil dissent in British America.

Early life and background

Samuel Gorton was born around 1593 in Gorton, Lancashire, within the Kingdom of England. Trained as a clothier, he was largely self-educated but developed a deep knowledge of Scripture and English law. He emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 with his family, arriving in Boston during the intense religious and political ferment following the Antinomian Controversy surrounding Anne Hutchinson. His background in trade and his assertive, litigious personality immediately set him at odds with the rigid theocracy of the Puritan leadership, who viewed his independent theological interpretations with deep suspicion.

Founding of Warwick and Gorton's settlement

After being expelled from both the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony, Gorton and his followers, known as "Gortonists" or "Gortonites," sought refuge in 1643 on land purchased from the Narragansett people at a place called Shawomet. This settlement was fiercely opposed by the neighboring colonies of Massachusetts and Plymouth, which claimed jurisdiction over the territory. In 1644, Massachusetts sent a militia to arrest Gorton and several of his followers, trying them in Boston and imprisoning them. Upon his release, Gorton sailed to England to plead his case before the Committee for Foreign Plantations of the Long Parliament. His successful appeal resulted in a 1648 charter from Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, which granted the settlers protection and autonomy, leading the community to rename the settlement Warwick, Rhode Island in his honor.

Religious and political beliefs

Gorton's theology was intensely spiritual and anti-clerical, rejecting the need for a trained ministry, sacraments, and most outward religious forms. He preached a form of universalist belief, emphasizing the indwelling of the Spirit in all people and the essential equality of every soul before God. Politically, he extended this principle to civil government, arguing for the sovereignty of the individual conscience and flatly denying the authority of the Massachusetts General Court or any government not based on the direct consent of the governed. His writings, such as Simplicities Defence against Seven-Headed Policy, directly challenged the Puritan union of church and state and were considered deeply subversive by authorities like John Winthrop.

Conflict with colonial authorities

Gorton's conflicts began almost immediately upon his arrival in New England. In Plymouth Colony, he was charged with blasphemy and sedition for disputing the authority of the local magistrate and for his teachings. In Providence Plantations, he clashed with other settlers, including Roger Williams, over land claims and his perceived disrespect for established agreements. His most serious confrontation was with the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which viewed his settlement at Shawomet as an intrusion and a haven for heresy. The 1643 armed intervention by the Massachusetts militia and the subsequent trial underscored the extreme lengths to which the Puritan establishment would go to suppress dissent, making Gorton's successful appeal to Parliament a landmark case challenging colonial authority.

Later life and legacy

After securing the charter for Warwick, Rhode Island, Gorton returned and served in various civil roles, including as an assistant and as the first President of the town of Warwick within the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He continued to write and preach his beliefs until his death in late 1677. Although his specific sect did not long survive him, his legacy is profound. He is remembered as a stubborn advocate for separation of church and state and an early proponent of democratic principles and religious toleration. His successful appeal to England established an important precedent for the Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663, which would become a foundational document for religious freedom in British America.

Category:American colonial people Category:People from colonial Rhode Island Category:Christian universalists