William Bradford — Of Plymouth Plantation (1620–1647)

The Pilgrims’ own history of their journey on the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony.

William Bradford, governor of Plymouth Colony for more than thirty years, wrote this history of the Separatist congregation that fled religious persecution in England, lived in exile in the Netherlands, and sailed to America in 1620.

It includes the text of the Mayflower Compact, the hardships of the first winter, and the colony’s relations with the Wampanoag people. It is the foundational account of one of America’s first English settlements.

Part of the Boston Made Reader’s special collection Courage, Conscience & Service. Every book and document here is free to read.