William Bradford 
Of Plymouth Plantation 

The most important and influential source of information about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony, this landmark account was written between 1630 and 1647. It vividly documents the Pilgrims’ adventures: their first stop in Holland, the harrowing transatlantic crossing aboard the
Mayflower, the first harsh winter in the new colony, and the help from friendly Native Americans that saved their lives.

No one was better equipped to report on the affairs of the Plymouth community than William Bradford. Revered for his patience, wisdom, and courage, Bradford was elected to the office of governor in 1621, and he continued to serve in that position for more than three decades. His memoirs of the colony remained virtually unknown until the nineteenth century. Lost during the American Revolution, they were discovered years later in London and published after a protracted legal battle. The current edition rendered into modern English and with an introduction by Harold Paget, remains among the most readable books from seventeenth-century America.

Table of Content

Book I-1608-1620. Persecution and Flight from England–Settlement in Holland–Passage to England and Voyage to America–Landing at Cape Cod and New Plymouth

Book II-1620-1646. History of the Settlement at New Plymouth