The residents lived outside of the Puritans’ strict social order. And unlike other Puritan towns, it didn’t have to support a minister. Unlike other colonial towns, Ptown didn’t get a charter.

The governor, Thomas Prence, got a deed for the land from local Indians in exchange for some blankets, kettles and tools. For the next decades, Plymouth Colony regulated and taxed the fishery, hoping to raise money for a school.

They did a little exploring, stole a little Indian corn, signed the Mayflower Compact and then moved on to Plymouth.īut they realized the deep, sheltered harbor teemed with fish, and they took advantage of it. Ptown, The Beginningīefore they ever set foot on Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims made landfall on the extreme northern tip of Cape Cod.