Plymouth Colony: Its History & People, 1620-1691

by Eugene Aubrey Stratton

This is the first truly complete treatment of the history and genealogy of Plymouth Colony. It includes a concise history of the colony, both chronologically and topically, and more than 300 biographical sketches of its inhabitants. Richly documented and illustrated with maps and photographs, the three-dimensional Plymouth Colony: Its History & People, 1620-1691 was written for historians and genealogists alike and provides and in-depth view of this important epoch in American history. The researcher will find the verbatim transcriptions of important contemporary documents in the eleven appendices invaluable, and the annotated bibliography clearly describes the abundance of primary and secondary literature on Plymouth Colony. Mr. Stratton's work set a new standard worthy of emulation by all serious scholars.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Reference, Biography, Research, Historical

481 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Aka Gene Stratton

Gene served in the United States Air Force and then attended George Washington University where he received his B.A. in Economics. He then went into Law school. Following college, he became a Case officer for the C.I.A. and later Director of two Federal Computer Centers. For eleven years, he lived abroad in England, Germany, Greece, and Mexico. Gene was elected to the position of Historian General in September 1981.

Gene was elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists in 1985, a member of the American Mensa Society, and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. In later years, he and Ginger became avid fans of the opera.

Reviews

[T. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent fodder for those of us interested in our "Pilgrim" lines twisted around our family tree roots. I like to get it out around Thanksgiving to ponder lightly amidst the historical imaginings of our predecessors. Ancestry.com book I purchased years ago in hardcopy, and later through Kindle.

[Terri Naughton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't really say I "loved" this book, as it's a fairly dry history of the early Plymouth colonists. But it's a solid asset to anyone doing genealogy research, as I am. My ancestors (Brewster, Hopkins, Prence among others) are featured in this history so that made it more interesting for me than it might otherwise have been!

[Helen Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biased. Reads almost as a commissioned work to obscure certain fine families and highlight others less so with an admiring eye.

Many outstanding early Plymouth residents are suspiciously overlooked perhaps because they only worked hard, attended church, paid taxes, voted, bore arms to defend the Colony in the Plymouth militia, only to be left to die cold, hungry, alone, and forgotten by their Christian neighbors who lived only feet away.

Stratton pretends not to see or understand what the British records routinely demonstrated about the true politics, psychological intrigues, and power relationships at Plymouth, particularly regarding the Winslows with Bradford.

Never is this more apparent than in his treatment of the events leading to Prince Philip's War.

Stratton does briefly touch on the religious and economic debates that led to the "breakaway" settlements such as Scituate and others. His treatment of legal proceedings and punishments is fair and accurate but leaves you wanting more as there were many.

A modern, comprehensive, and accurate American recording of Plymouth Colony should not be difficult as there were so few people to account for. The British have had no trouble with this.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good introduction to Plymouth Colony in preparation for our visit!

[Victoria Wekamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a most valuable addition to my genealogy research projects.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using for genealogy research.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In spite of having a lot of dry facts, I was fascinated to learn more about Plymouth Colony. Perhaps my interest might be more than most people's because one of my ancestors was one of the founders. I must admit that I did not read all of the biographical sketches near the end of the book but read only those that pertained to me. This book is a great resource, and I will probably refer to it in the future as I continue to investigate my own ancestry.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more a reference book for those seeking ancestors who were part of the first people in the Plymouth Colony. But it is much more. It is a history of what the people were really like. It provides accurate records of those who came and lived and died.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great history book about the setting up of the colony and all the events between 1620 and 1691. In the back are detailed biographies of all the settlers. I went to the reconstruction site of the colony and found this in the gift shop. There are maps and illustrations as a bonus.

[Kathy Dobronyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought history to life from a genealogist’s point of view. Stratton identified passengers on the Mayflower in Section 3—Biographical Sketches and wrote about their history in the Plymouth Colony. Very interesting.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

(May read partially then restart later)
July 26, 2010

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would that the history we were taught at school was as interesting and as thorough as this book. Well researched, well organized, well written. I learned a lot, and have been prompted to learn more.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoed the first half. The biographies were a little harder to get through.

[Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for anyone interested in the early settlers of New England.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for genealogical research.

[Erin Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

No serious researcher or genealogist of Plymouth begins anywhere but here.

[Sharon Bardus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tis is an excellent book for learning about the PIlgrims. Part One describes in chrnological order the early years of the settlement through to the end when Plymouth stopped expanding and its first settlers and their grown children had settled in other areas of Massachusetts. Part Two looks at the structures of government, religion, morals, and people interactions. Part Three is a delight for anyone looking for an ancestor. It gives a genealogy and biographical sketch of each of most persons who were in Plymouth Colony by 1634. Plymouth Colony is a scholarly book and not a quick read, but for those interested in the people of this historical time it is worth the read.