Editing Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony) (section)

===Bradford's history===
The first use of the word ''pilgrims'' for the ''Mayflower'' passengers appeared in [[William Bradford (Plymouth Colony governor)|William Bradford]]'s 1651 ''[[Of Plymouth Plantation]]''. In recounting his group's July 1620 departure from Leiden, he used the imagery of [[Hebrews 11]] ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews+11%3A13-16&version=GNV Hebrews 11:13–16]) about  [[Old Testament]] "strangers and pilgrims" who had the opportunity to return to their old country but instead longed for a better, heavenly country.
<blockquote>
So they lefte goodly & pleasante citie, which had been ther resting place, nere 12 years; but they knew they were pilgrimes, & looked not much on these things; but lift up their eyes to y<sup>e</sup> heavens, their dearest cuntrie, and quieted their spirits.<!-- Direct quote; please do not change spelling. --><ref name="bradford_1_7" />
</blockquote>

There is no record of the term ''Pilgrims'' being used to describe Plymouth's founders for 150 years after Bradford wrote this passage, except when quoting him. The ''Mayflower's'' story was retold by historians [[Nathaniel Morton]] (in 1669) and [[Cotton Mather]] (in 1702), and both paraphrased Bradford's passage and used his word  ''pilgrims''. At Plymouth's [[Forefathers' Day]] observance in 1793, Rev. Chandler Robbins recited this passage.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|(1915)|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=47gMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA356 356–359].|Ref=Matthews_1915}}</ref>