Plymouth Plantation
In the spring of 1621, the colonists began their planting and made friendly contact with the Wampanoag Indians, among them the legendary Squanto, who acted as the Pilgrim's guide and interpreter. The colony grew and flourished and that fall, the Pilgrims celebrated what has entered American folklore as "the First Thanksgiving".
The Pilgrims at Plymouth enjoyed a relatively peaceful co-existence with the Native Indians and, in general, was a prosperous and peaceful colony until it was incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.
The Pilgrims' Role in History
The Pilgrims have been credited as being the founding fathers of America. While it is true that the Jamestown colony was founded several years before Plymouth, it was almost a failure. Plymouth was the first successful colony founded in the New World and paved the way for subsequent colonies to follow its example.
At Plymouth, the Pilgrims founded a forward-thinking colony that was, in essence, ahead of its time and often differed from the other colonies founded in New England. Religious tolerance was the rule, not the exception. Elected officials were re-elected yearly to avoid "officialdom" (William Bradford was elected 30 times in 35 years as Governor). Free, public education, the modern method of administering estates among all children, and the right of men to vote (regardless of church membership) was established at Plymouth Plantation.
For Further Reading:
Stoddard, Francis R. The Truth About The Pilgrims, General Society of Mayflower Descendants: New York. 1952
A New Insight into the Early Settlement of Plymouth Plantation – Great Maps!
Colonial History: Massachusetts