For Thomas Morton, there was only one way to celebrate the arrival of spring, with a dance party.

In 1628, that meant building a festive, slightly phallic maple, and dancing around it until the sun came up.

But in the spring of 1628, Thomas Morton had a problem.

The Englishman was in Massachusetts, surrounded by pilgrims, who wanted to shut the party down.

But Thomas Morton knew what he had to do.

He had to fight for his right.

Cupid party!

Oh boy.

Anduin Thurus, and this is Al's Obscura, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places.

Today, we're going to the suburbs of Boston, to a town called Quincy.

It's quiet and stately in that New England kind of way.

But back in the 1620s, it was the world's least likely party town.

And home to Thomas Morton, the party animal at the center of it all.

More after this.

You've probably heard of Plymouth, where the Mayflower docked, and the pilgrims settled in North America.

Well, Quincy is just about 30 miles to the north, closer to Boston.

And it's the birthplace of John Hancock and two presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

But back then, Quincy had another name.

The name that Thomas Morton gave it, Mary Mount.

Okay, before we go any farther, there's a very important piece of background information.

Thomas Morton, not a pilgrim.

Not everyone who came over on the Mayflower was, and the pilgrims were, they were kind of rigid people.

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