Pilgrim Separatists

Definition

Pilgrim Separatists were a group of English Protestants who left England in the early 17th century to establish the Plymouth Colony. They believed that the Church of England was beyond reform and sought religious freedom.

Analogy

Imagine Pilgrim Separatists as a group of friends who decide they don't like the rules at their local hangout spot (the Church of England), so they decide to build their own clubhouse (Plymouth Colony) where they can make their own rules.

Related terms

Mayflower Compact: An agreement reached by the Pilgrims on board the ship Mayflower in 1620, just before landing at Plymouth Rock. It bound them into a civil body politic for better ordering and preservation.

William Bradford: A leader among the Pilgrims who established Plymouth Colony; he served as governor for over three decades.

Plymouth Colony: The first permanent settlement in New England founded by the Pilgrims in 1620; it existed until it merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.