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Founding of Plymouth Colony
In December 1620, Mayflower passengers signed a compact and established a permanent settlement at Plymouth on the southern shore of Massachusetts Bay…
Timeline
- 1620Plymouth Bay · MassachusettsAfter surveying the coast, the settlers chose to land on the shore of Plymouth Bay, which had fresh water and cleared farmland, and began building the first houses and defenses under the framework of the Compact.
- 1620–1621Plymouth · MassachusettsSevere cold, disease, and food shortages killed about half the settlers, including first governor John Carver; survivors barely held on with remaining ship supplies and later resupply.
- 1621Plymouth · MassachusettsWith the help of Wampanoag leaders such as Squanto and Massasoit, the settlers learned to grow local crops and concluded a mutual-aid treaty; in 1621 they elected William Bradford governor, and the colony entered a period of relative stability.
Sources
- Of Plymouth Plantation — William Bradford
- Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War — Nathaniel Philbrick (2006)