Plymouth Colony

What do you know about The Pilgrims? Try this US Made Easy Quiz.  "Check Your Answers" at the end of the page.

1. John Carver Pilgrim leader and the first governor of Plymouth Colony, born probably in Nottinghamshire, England. Carver was a wealthy London merchant, but he left England and went to Leiden, Netherlands, in 1607 or 1608 because of religious persecution. He was probably instrumental in choosing Plymouth as the site for settlement. He died, apparently from sunstroke, in the spring of 1621.

• True or False?

2. After the death of John Carver in 1621, who became the Plymouth Colony governor?

• Myles Sandish
• Bill Paxton
• William Bradford

3. An American Indian named Samoset, originally from Pemaquid Point in modern Maine, walked boldly into the midst of the settlement and proclaimed, "Welcome, Englishmen!" He had learned some English from fishermen who worked off the coast of Maine and gave them a brief introduction to the region's history and geography. When did the first formal contact with the American Indians occurred?

• March 6, 1621
• March 16, 1621
• February 6, 1621

4. Samoset returned to Plymouth on March 22, 1621 with a delegation from Massasoit that included Squanto; Massasoit joined them shortly thereafter. After an exchange of gifts, Massasoit and John Carver established a formal treaty of peace. Squanto, as he was called by the Pilgrims, stayed with the Pilgrims from March 1621 to November 1622, was instrumental in helping the Pilgrims to survive.

• True or False?

5. Edward Winslow and Susanna White, each of who lost their spouses during the harsh winter of 1620–1621, became the first couple to be married in Plymouth.

• True or False?

6. What was the largest source of wealth for Plymouth Colony?

• Fur trade
• Cattle ranching
• Coal mining

7. While Massachusetts Bay Colony experienced an outbreak of witchcraft scares in the 17th century, there is little evidence that Plymouth was engulfed in anything similar. While witchcraft was listed as a capital crime in the 1636 codification of the laws by the Plymouth General Court, there were no actual convictions of witches in Plymouth Colony. The court records only show two formal accusations of witchcraft. The first, of Goodwife Holmes in 1661, never went to trial. The second resulted in trial and acquittal. Who was acquitted?

• Mary Ingram
• Betty Minehart
• Sally Reynolds

8. Who was an American Pilgrim leader on the Mayflower. He served as the governor of Plymouth Colony in 1633, 1636, and finally in 1644.

• Edward Winslow
• David R. White
• James Stewart

9. Who was a co-founder of Eastham, Massachusetts, a political leader in both the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, and governor of Plymouth (1634, 1638, and 1657 - 1673).

• Brook Edwards
• Thomas Paine
• Thomas Prence

10. A new charter was issued, annexing Plymouth Colony to Massachusetts Bay Colony. The official date of the proclamation ending the existence of Plymouth Colony was October 17, 1691, though it was not put into force until the arrival of the new charter on May 14, 1692, carried by William Phips. When was the last official meeting of the Plymouth General Court?

• June 8, 1692
• June 18, 1692
• June 28, 1692

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