Plymouth Colony

Plymouth Colony
1620–1686
1689–1691
Plymouth Colony Seal
Seal
Map of Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony town locations[image reference needed]
StatusSelf-governing colony of England
CapitalPlymouth
41°57′27″N 70°39′45″W / 41.95750°N 70.66250°W / 41.95750; -70.66250
Official languagesEnglish
Religion
Puritanism
Governor 
• 1620–1621
John Carver (first)
• 1689–1692
Thomas Hinckley (last)
LegislatureGeneral Court
Historical eraBritish colonization of the Americas
Puritan migration to New England (1620–1640)
1620
1621
1636–1638
1643
1675–1676
• Joseph Dudley is made governor of New England[1]
25 May 1686
18 April 1689
7 October 1691
Preceded by
Succeeded by
1620:
Wampanoag
1689:
Dominion of New England
1691:
Province of Massachusetts Bay
1686:
Dominion of New England

Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on the Mayflower at a location that had previously been surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement served as the capital of the colony and developed as the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. At its height, Plymouth Colony occupied most of what is now the southeastern portion of Massachusetts. Many of the people and events surrounding Plymouth Colony have become part of American folklore, including the American tradition of Thanksgiving and the monument of Plymouth Rock.[2]: 2 

Plymouth Colony was founded by a group of Protestant Separatists initially known as the Brownist Emigration, who came to be known as the Pilgrims. The colony established a treaty with Wampanoag chief Massasoit which helped to ensure its success; in this, they were aided by Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe. Plymouth played a central role in King Philip's War (1675–1678), one of several Indian Wars, but the colony was ultimately merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other territories in 1691 to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

Despite the colony's relatively short existence, Plymouth holds a special role in American history. The social and legal systems of the colony became closely tied to their religious beliefs, as well as to English custom.[2]: 2 

  1. ^ Barnes, Viola Florence (1960) [1923]. The Dominion of New England: A Study in British Colonial Policy. New York: Frederick Ungar. p. 50,54. ISBN 978-0-8044-1065-6. OCLC 395292. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :Dee00 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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