<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Today part of </Td> <Td> Commonwealth of Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <P> Plymouth Colony (sometimes New Plymouth) was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691 . The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith . The settlement served as the capital of the colony and developed as the modern town of Plymouth, Massachusetts . At its height, Plymouth Colony occupied most of the southeastern portion of the modern state of Massachusetts . </P> <P> Plymouth Colony was founded by a group of Puritan Separatists initially known as the Brownist Emigration, who came to be known as the Pilgrims . It was one of the earliest successful colonies to be founded by the English in North America, along with Jamestown and other settlements in Virginia, and was the first sizable permanent English settlement in the New England region . The colony was able to establish a treaty with Chief Massasoit which helped to ensure its success; in this, they were aided by Squanto, a Native American of the Patuxet people . It played a central role in King Philip's War (1675--78), one of several Indian Wars . Ultimately, the colony was merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other territories in 1691 to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay . </P> <P> Despite the colony's relatively short existence, Plymouth holds a special role in American history . A significant proportion of the citizens of Plymouth were fleeing religious persecution and searching for a place to worship as they saw fit, rather than being entrepreneurs like many of the settlers of Jamestown . The social and legal systems of the colony became closely tied to their religious beliefs, as well as English custom . Many of the people and events surrounding Plymouth Colony have become part of American folklore, including the North American tradition known as Thanksgiving and the monument known as Plymouth Rock . </P>

Who were the first pilgrims (in other words they were members of what group)