William Bradford (1590-1657)
Founder and Governor of Plymouth
Biography
- Born in Austerfield, Yorkshire, England.
- Became a Puritan at the age of 12.
- One of the founders of the Plymouth colony.
- Signed the Mayflower Compact, which set up the government of the new settlement.
- Became the second governor of Plymouth in 1621.
- Governor of Plymouth for more than 30 years.
- Authored History of Plymouth Plantation, a history of the colony; it is also the only history of Plymouth written by a passenger of the Mayflower.