English By Cecily Hilleary Share on Facebook Print this page WASHINGTON - In July 1620, the Puritan separatists known as Pilgrims returned to England from exile in the Netherlands and set sail for America, looking to freely express their religious beliefs, free from Anglican Church or royal interference.
After weeks at sea and a month exploring Cape Cod, they settled on Plymouth Harbor as a suitable site to build their colony.
Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the tall ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
Plymouth Colony remained an independent colony for more than 70 years until it was absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691. In that time, its population grew from fewer than 200 to about 4,000.