Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)

Quick Facts: Who was Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)?

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Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)

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English Separatists who settled Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, in 1620.

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Origins & Early Life

The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were the English colonists who traveled to North America on the ship Mayflower and established the Plymouth Colony at what now is Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. John Smith named this territory New Plymouth in 1614, sharing the name of the Pilgrims' final departure port of Plymouth, Devon, England. The Pilgrims' leadership came from religious congregations of Brownists or Separatists who had fled religious persecution in England for the tolerance of 17th-century Holland in the Netherlands. These Separatists held many of the same Calvinist religious beliefs as Puritans, but unlike Puritans (who wanted a purified established church), Pilgrims believed that their congregations should separate from the Church of England, which led to them being labelled Separatists. After several years of living in exile in Holland, they determined to establish a new settlement in the New World and arranged with investors to fund them.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1620, they established the Plymouth Colony, in which they erected Congregational churches. The Puritans' later establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony eventually became more powerful in the area; but the Pilgrims' story nevertheless became a central theme in the history and culture of the United States. Around 1605, congregations in Nottinghamshire, England led by John Robinson, Richard Clyfton, and John Smyth quit the Church of England to form Separatist congregations. These held Brownist beliefs—that true churches were voluntary democratic congregations, not whole Christian nations—as taught by Robert Browne, John Greenwood, and Henry Barrowe. As Separatists, they held that their differences with the Church of England were irreconcilable and that their worship should be independent of the trappings, traditions, and organization of a central church.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Separatist movement was controversial. Under the Act of Uniformity 1559, it was illegal not to attend official Church of England services, with a fine of one shilling (£0.05; about £23 today) for each missed Sunday and holy day. The penalties included imprisonment and larger fines for conducting unofficial services. The Seditious Sectaries Act 1592 was specifically aimed at outlawing the Brownists. Under this policy, London Underground Church members were repeatedly imprisoned from 1566, and then Robert Browne and his followers were imprisoned in Norfolk during the 1580s.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1559: 1559 Milestone — Under the Act of Uniformity 1559, it was illegal not to attend official Church of England services, with a fine of one shilling (£0.
2. 1566: 1566 Milestone — Under this policy, London Underground Church members were repeatedly imprisoned from 1566, and then Robert Browne and his followers were imprisoned in Norfolk during the 1580s.
3. 1592: 1592 Milestone — The Seditious Sectaries Act 1592 was specifically aimed at outlawing the Brownists.
4. 1605: 1605 Milestone — Around 1605, congregations in Nottinghamshire, England led by John Robinson, Richard Clyfton, and John Smyth quit the Church of England to form Separatist congregations.
5. 1614: 1614 Milestone — John Smith named this territory New Plymouth in 1614, sharing the name of the Pilgrims' final departure port of Plymouth, Devon, England.
6. 1620: 1620 Milestone — In 1620, they established the Plymouth Colony, in which they erected Congregational churches.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)

True or False: “The Pilgrims initially sought religious freedom by joining the established Church of England.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): They actively separated from the Church of England because they believed their congregations needed to be independent of central church authority.

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