The Original Colonies: Review Time
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The Pilgrims landed in Plymouth in the Winter of 1620. While many Pilgrims came to America on that first trip, many others remained behind. Over the next six years (1620-1626), many more English colonists arrived in Plymouth to join their friends and family who had made the original trip on the Mayflower. By 1627, the Plymouth Colony was thriving with about 160 people in Plymouth. The people were comfortable and happy; food was somewhat plentiful, and families were growing.
While all passengers onboard the Mayflower wanted to travel to America, they had different reasons for wanting to come to the New World since they were not all Pilgrims. Some wanted religious freedom; some wanted wealth; while others simply wanted a fresh start in a new land. Early on, colonial leaders realized they would need to establish a way for the colonists to rule themselves.
Before disembarking the Mayflower, the Pilgrims created the Mayflower Compact, an agreement to help the colonists live together peacefully and survive. The Mayflower Compact served as the foundation for the government of Plymouth, and it was the first governing document made in America.
The Native Americans were pivotal to the colonists’ survival when they first arrived in Plymouth, but so were others who helped establish the colony. Two key people in the success of Plymouth Colony were Governor William Bradford and Captain Myles Standish. Bradford and Standish made significant contributions to early government in colonial America.
