Topic: Thomas Morton

Ronnie Pontiac introduces Thomas Morton, whom he calls the "pagan pilgrim," a lawyer and Cavalier who founded the Merrymount colony in the 1620s. Unlike the ascetic and fearful Puritans of Boston, Morton embraced Elizabethan culture, Shakespeare, and indigenous traditions. He established a trading post that welcomed outlaws and indigenous tribes, directly challenging the religious and social hegemony of the neighboring Plymouth and Boston colonies.

The host reflects on the interview, expressing a desire to have spent more time on the obscure historical figures in Pontiac's book rather than the debate over "invisible masters." He defends Manly P. Hall as a teacher of self-discipline rather than a malevolent "hoarder of knowledge." Further details are shared from "New English Canaan" regarding the health of indigenous tribes and the high market value of rare original copies of Morton's suppressed work.

Dr. Jacobi recounts an epiphany regarding his medical training after a conversation with Dr. Lee Dellon about why podiatrists traditionally cut out nerves. He discovered that the procedure originated with Thomas Morton at Pennsylvania Hospital in the 1800s. This history illustrates how medical practices are often passed down through generations without questioning the underlying science or primary research.