Plymouth Colony

Plymouth Colony, first English settlement in what is now New England, second permanent English settlement in America, founded by the Pilgrims in 1620. In 1691 it was merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony to form Massachusetts. The Pilgrims were Puritan Separatists from the Church of England who were bound for Virginia when their ships were blown off course. Under the Mayflower Compact they agreed to form a “civil body politic” that became a virtual theocracy. The original settlers included John Carver and William Bradford, the first 2 governors. Half the colony died during a bitter first winter, but the survivors were helped by the friendly chief Massasoit. By 1624 Plymouth was thriving.