Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Settlement of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies
For this lesson, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the New England colonies and the role that religion played in shaping them. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on...
University of Illinois
University of Illinois: The Plymouth Colony Archive Project
This resource presents a collection of searchable texts, including court records, Colony laws, seminar analysis of various topics, and biographical profiles of selected colonists. It also includes a search engine and images.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Plymouth Colony Research Starters: Plymouth Colony
This site is an online resource focused on the Plymouth Colony. The site hosts research starters concerning the life and times of the Plymouth colony.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Us History: Plymouth Colony
The story of how Plymouth Colony came to be. Looks at the Puritan movement with its roots in England, the sailing of the Mayflower, and the progress of the settlers in their first years in New England. Describes their first encounters...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Colonial Lit: William Bradford and of Plymouth Plantation
This lesson focuses on William Bradford and his Of Plymouth Plantation, a history of the Plymouth Colony. It features a short biography of William Bradford including his trip to America on the Mayflower and being elected long-term...
Ancestry
The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620
Study guide with loads of information about the pilgrims. Details everything from the religious beliefs of the pilgrims to what the Mayflower looked like, to the dogs on the ship, furniture, clothing, descriptions of medical practices on...
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Houses in Early Plymouth Colony
Explains what is known about the types of houses the Pilgrims built in Plymouth Colony.
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Modern Plymouth
Find out what Plymouth looks like today and what remains of the Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrims.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Land of the Brave: Plymouth Colony
Article provides detailed facts and an overview of the establishment and famous people of the Plymouth Colony.
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: The Militia and Fort
Describes the fortifications that were put in place by the Pilgrims to protect Plymouth Colony from attack by other Europeans or hostile Indians.
Other
Plimoth Plantation: You Are the Historian
What really happened at the first Thanksgiving? Students will explore different aspects of the harvest celebration in 1621 through an interactive program provided by an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute.
A&E Television
History.com: The First Thanksgiving Celebration
[Free Registration/Login Required] Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first...
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Women of Early Plymouth
An interesting account of the decisions that had to be made about whether or not to bring women along on the Mayflower. There was a higher mortality rate among the women it turned out, but that may have been due to the fact that women...
Ducksters
Ducksters: Colonial America the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony
Learn about the Eurpoean colonization of America.
Yale University
The Charter of New England:1620
Read the online historical text written in 1620 establishing religious freedom, means of governing, and rule by law in the Plymouth colony and New England.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony
Read a brief description of the Pilgrims' journey to North America. Find out how many travelers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims, and find out why a mistake in navigation led to the first written constitution in the New World.
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Animals and Livestock of Early Plymouth
Describes the types of farm animals that the Pilgrims likely raised in Plymouth Colony, based on historical reports.
Other
American Journeys: French and English Approaches to Exploration [Pdf]
A lengthy lesson plan that examines French and English approaches to exploration and colonization in reference to religious factors. Using primary sources from French missionary Gabriel Sagard and Wiliam Bradford, first governor of...
Other
San Francisco Unified School District: Colonial Faire Project
A large collection of high-quality resources for learning and teaching about the Thirteen English Colonies. The main page outlines examples of student project possibilities. There are individual pages for primary resources, people from...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving
Plymouth Colony did not suffer the same problems as the English colony farther south, Jamestown. Read about the leadership of William Bradford, and the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans who helped those who lived...
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Massasoit Ousemequin
A biography of the life of Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag. It describes his interactions with the Plymouth Colony settlers and treaty negotiations between his tribe and the colony.
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Tisquantum ("Squanto")
A detailed biography of the life of Tisquantum, known as Squanto. Covers some history of the Plymouth Colony and of relations between the colonists and the native peoples.
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Girls on the Mayflower
Discusses the girls who came over on the Mayflower and what happened to them. Despite expectations, the girls had a much better survival rate than the men, women, or boys, but many of them lost parents and guardians. The last paragraph...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Jamestown, Plymouth Final
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart provides information on the Jamestown and Plymouth colonies.