Plymouth Colony

**Plymouth Colony** was an English colony in North America. It existed from 1620 to 1691.  At its height, Plymouth Colony occupied most of the southeastern part of the modern state of Massachusetts.

## History

The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth. This settlement served as the capital of the colony. It is today the modern town of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Separatists and Anglicans (together, the "Pilgrims") founded the colony. With Jamestown and other settlements in Virginia Colony, it was one of the earliest successful English colonies in North America.  It was the first sizable permanent English settlement in the New England region.

The colony made a treaty with Chief Massasoit. This helped to make the colony a success. The colonists played a role in King Philip's War. The colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other territories in 1691. Together they formed the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

Plymouth holds a special role in American history. Many of the Plymouth colonists left England for a place to worship in their own way. The social and legal systems of the colony became tied to their religious beliefs, as well as English custom. Many of the people and events surrounding Plymouth Colony have become part of American folklore. These include Thanksgiving and Plymouth Rock.

## Related pages

- European colonization of the Americas
- British Empire

## Other websites

- Timeline of Plymouth Colony
- Colonial America:Plymouth Colony 1620 A short history of Plymouth Colony hosted at U-S-History.com, includes a map of all of the New England colonies.
- The Plymouth Colony Archive Project a collection of primary sources documents and secondary source analysis related to Plymouth Colony.
- Pilgrim ships from 1602 to 1638 Pilgrim ships searchable by ship name, sailing date and passengers.

## Infobox (former country)

- **conventional long name**: Plymouth Colony
- **common name**: Plymouth
- **era**: British colonization of the Americas
 Puritan migration to New England (1620–1640)
- **status**: Colony of England
- **government type**: Self-governing colony
- **event start**: Council for New England, Charter given
- **year start**: 1620
- **event end**: Dominion of New England, Disestablished, reorganized as the Province of Massachusetts Bay
- **year end**: 1686
1689–1691
- **event1**: Thanksgiving (United States)#Harvest festival observed by the Pilgrims at Plymouth, First Thanksgiving
- **date event1**: 1621
- **event2**: Pequot War
- **date event2**: 1636–1638
- **event3**: New England Confederation formed
- **date event3**: 1643
- **event4**: King Philip's War
- **date event4**: 1675–1676
- **p1**: Wampanoag
- **s1**: Dominion of New England
- **flag s1**: Flag of New England under Sir Edmund Andros.svg
- **s2**: Province of Massachusetts Bay
- **flag s2**: Red ensign of Great Britain (1707–1800, square canton).svg
- **image coat**: Plymouth Colony seal.png
- **coa size**: 100px
- **coat alt**: Plymouth Colony Seal
- **symbol type**: Seal
- **image map**: Plymouth Colony map.svg
- **image map alt**: Map of Plymouth Colony
- **image map caption**: Plymouth Colony town locations
- **capital**: Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plymouth
- **common languages**: English language, English
- **religion**: Puritanism
- **leader1**: John Carver (Plymouth Colony governor), John Carver (_first_)
- **leader3**: Thomas Hinckley (_last_)
- **year leader1**: 1620–1621
- **year leader3**: 1689–1692
- **title leader**: Governor of Plymouth Colony, Governor
- **legislature**: Plymouth General Court, General Court