Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

The original manuscript of this history was written between 1630
and 1655, but was not published and was lost for many years. It
was rediscovered and an edition was published in 1856, and another
edition published in 1901. Both were printed closely following the
mediaeval English of the manuscript.

This book is a rework of that 1901 edition into modern English by
Harold Paget. His Introduction gives an account of the loss and
eventual return of the manuscript to Massachusetts.

In this etext italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been
placed at the end of the book.

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

BRADFORD’S HISTORY
OF THE
PLYMOUTH SETTLEMENT

BRADFORD’S HISTORY
OF THE
PLYMOUTH SETTLEMENT

1608-1650

Rendered into Modern English by
HAROLD PAGET

NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
681 FIFTH AVENUE

Copyright, 1909
By THE JOHN McBRIDE CO.

Copyright, 1920
By E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY

_All Rights Reserved_

_Printed in the United States of America_

Some Dates in the History of England, Holland, Spain, and America, which bear upon the Contents of this Book

Discovery of America 1492
Henry VIII of England 1509-1547
Act of Supremacy (Secession of England from Rome) 1534
Edward VI of England 1547-1553
Mary I of England 1553-1558
Philip, son of Charles V of Spain, marries Mary I of England 1554
Charles V of Spain hands over sovereignty of the Netherlands
to his son Philip 1555
Charles V of Spain resigns his crowns to his son, Philip II 1556
Elizabeth of England 1558-1603
Philip II returns from Netherlands to Spain 1559
Spanish Oppression of Netherlands reformers 1565
Netherlands rebel against Spain 1566
Netherlands form Republic (Union of Utrecht) 1579
William I of Orange accepts sovereignty of Holland: murdered:
his son Maurice elected Captain-General 1584
England joins Holland against Spain 1586
Defeat of Spanish Armada by England 1588
Philip II of Spain dies: Philip III succeeds 1598
James I of England 1603-1625
Pilgrim Fathers fly from England to Holland 1608
Truce of 12 years between Holland and Spain 1609
Landing of Pilgrim Fathers in New England 1620
Philip IV of Spain: truce with Holland expires 1621
Prince Maurice of Orange dies: his half-brother, Frederick
Henry, succeeds 1625
Charles I of England 1625-1649
Charter granted to Massachusetts 1629
Puritan Emigration to New England increases 1630
Archbishop Laud attacks English Puritans 1633
Writs for ship-money issued to English maritime towns 1634
Marriage of William, son of Prince of Orange, to Mary,
daughter of Charles I of England 1641
William II of Orange succeeds Frederick Henry 1647
Treaty between Holland and Spain 1648
Commonwealth of England 1649-1660
English Navigation Acts lead to war with Holland 1651
Blake defeats Van Tromp 1653
Charles II of England 1660-1687
The Dutch lose New Amsterdam to England: renamed New York 1664
James II of England 1685-1689
William (of Orange) III and Mary II of England 1689-1702

CONTENTS