Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the "Pilgrims", a group of English colonials. At its peak, Plymouth Colony occupied most of the southeastern portion of the modern state of Massachusetts. On 2 June 1685, Plymouth Colony divided its land into three counties, Plymouth, Bristol and Barnstable, in preparation for its 7 October 1691 annexation to the newly chartered Massachusetts Bay Province. All three counties remained under the governance of Plymouth Colony until that date.