Miles Standish: Plymouth Colony Leader

by Susan Martins Miller

Presents a biography of the courageous leader who arrived in America on the Mayflower and led the defense of Plymouth Colony.

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Kim English]

More information than what we learn in the school history books

[Carol]

This is a biography of Miles Standish. The opening chapter is titled "Captain Shrimp", the nickname given to him. His parents died when he was a boy, leaving him to take care of himself. Miles is Latin for soldier, and he became a soldier before he was 20. Queen Elizabeth I sent soldiers to Holland & Miles was one of them. There he met people who had left England to get away from the Church of England. These Separatists decided to go to America. They needed people to go with them with different abilities. They needed a professional soldier, and John Robinson, their leader, remembered Miles Standish. When he was 36 years old, Miles and his wife, Rose, joined the Separatists. The Pilgrims called themselves "Saints", and the others they called "Strangers". Miles Standish was called Captain Shrimp because he was short with red hair. The Mayflower had too many people on board. When the weather turned bad it was too late to turn back. They had been driven off course, & Miles Standish helped decide where to settle.