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You are here: Home / Firsts / Was Plymouth Really the First Settlement in New England?

Was Plymouth Really the First Settlement in New England?

June 10, 2020 by Karen Hill

Many Americans believe that the Pilgrims’ colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts, which began in 1620, was the first settlement in New England. But 17 years earlier, in 1603, a French settlement was briefly established in Maine.

Then in 1607, a group of English settlers, led by George Popham, established a settlement in Maine, at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Bad weather and a lack of supplies forced the settlers to return to England within a year.

However, the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock did set up the first permanent settlement in New England. (The first permanent English settlement in all of America, at Jamestown, Virginia, was established in 1607.)

And the first permanent settlement in America was set up by the Spanish at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565!

Related Facts

  • Which States Make Up the Region Called New England and How Did New England Get Its Name?
  • Where in England did the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony come from?
  • How long was the Mayflower's voyage from England to Cape Cod New England?
  • What Is the Highest Mountain In New England and What Are the Names of the 5 Monadnocks In New Hampshire?
  • When Did The Mayflower's Pilgrims See Their First Indian At Plymouth Massachusetts?
  • How Did England Get its Name, What Does England Mean In Latin, and Where Did the Name Originate?

Filed Under: Firsts

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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