Miles Standish

Standish, Miles (15847–1656), English passenger on the Mayflower and colonist. Unlike most of his fellow travelers from England in 1620, Standish was not a Puritan and did not come to the New World as a religious exile. He led successful military operations for the Plymouth Colony against hostile Native American tribes. He took over ownership of stock from a London-based investment group that financed the Plymouth Colony (1627). Standish participated in the colonial government as assistant governor (beginning in either 1624 or 1633) and treasurer (1652–55). He helped found Auxbury, Mass., where he went to live (c.1632). Although his courtship is the subject of a famous poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the details are not based in fact.