articlesforchristians

William Bradford was born in Austerfield, England, and baptized on March 19, 1590. His family, who owned a large farm, was considered well-off. His childhood, however, was marked by hardship as he lost many family members. His father died when he was just over a year old. At four, after his mother remarried, he went to live with his grandfather, who passed away two years later. William then returned to live with his mother and stepfather, but his mother died the following year, in 1597. By the age of seven, he was an orphan living with two uncles.

William Bradford was an English leader and a Puritan who sought to break away from the Church of England. To escape persecution from King James I, he moved from England to Holland. In 1620, he journeyed to America aboard the famous Mayflower, settling in the Plymouth Colony.

Bradford signed the Mayflower Compact, a key agreement for the new colony, and went on to serve as Governor of Plymouth Colony for about 30 years, from 1621 to 1657. He also took on leadership roles in the United Colonies of New England several times. His journal, *Of Plymouth Plantation*, recounts the history of Plymouth from 1620 to 1646.

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