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The Gorton Party Attacked at Shawomet
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The Gorton Party Attacked at Shawomet
The Gorton party attacked at Shawomet; a line of soldiers from Massachusetts fire towards a block-house, at Shawomet, in order to capture and bring Samuel Gorton to court in Boston. A group of men in the foreground take more weapons out of a box. Gorton and his religious followers had had a complaint filed against them to the Massachusetts authority, by two minor Sachems who accused Gorton of unjust dealing in purchasing land from them. He refused the summons, was arrested and brought to Boston, where the charges against him were for his extreme religious view and conduct, not land misdealing. Date: 1643
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Media ID 23090150
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Attacked Authority Block Boston Bring Capture Complaint Followers Foreground Gorton Massachusetts Minor Order Samuel Filed Weapons
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the tense moment during the "Gorton Party Attacked at Shawomet" incident in 1643. The photograph depicts a line of determined Massachusetts soldiers, their muskets at the ready, aiming towards a fortified block-house at Shawomet. In the foreground, a group of men hastily retrieve weapons from a box, preparing for the imminent confrontation. At the heart of this conflict was Samuel Gorton, a religious leader and landowner, who had been summoned by Massachusetts authorities to answer charges of unjust dealing in the purchase of land from two minor Native American sachems. Gorton, a non-conformist and a follower of the Brownist faith, had refused to comply with the summons. As a result, a party of soldiers was dispatched to bring Gorton to Boston for trial. However, the true motivation behind the arrest went beyond the initial land dispute. Massachusetts authorities were deeply concerned about Gorton's extreme religious views and conduct, which deviated significantly from the established Puritan orthodoxy. The image serves as a poignant reminder of the religious and political tensions that characterized early New England society. The soldiers' unwavering resolve to bring Gorton to justice stands in stark contrast to the determination of the religious leader and his followers to uphold their beliefs, even in the face of adversity.
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