A Pilgrim Maid: A Story of Plymouth Colony in 1620

In Short

Marion Ames Taggart’s 1920 historical novel traces the first three years of Plymouth Colony through the eyes of teenager Constance Hopkins. As the Pilgrims struggle against illness, starvation, and severe weather, Constance navigates domestic hostility from her jealous stepmother and bitter friction between her father and brother. Through her selflessness, courage, and innate warmth, she earns the love of her community, aids in saving her step-sister's life, and helps establish a stable colony. The story endures as a grounded portrait of early American survival, balancing historical reality with personal resilience.

The Story

The narrative begins aboard the Mayflower as it battered through Atlantic tempests toward the New England coast. Young Constance Hopkins works tirelessly to comfort the younger children and ease the fears of her fellow passengers. However, her home life is fraught with tension. Her stepmother, Eliza Hopkins, harbors a deep, vindictive jealousy toward Constance and her brother Giles, resenting their father Stephen’s devotion to them. Mistress Hopkins goes so far as to falsely accuse Giles of stealing important papers from Stephen, igniting a bitter rift between father and son.

Upon landing at Plymouth, the settlers encounter a brutal winter. Disease sweeps through the community, claiming many lives, including Rose Standish, whom Constance lovingly nurses until her final moments. Despite the grief and physical exhaustion around her, Constance strives to maintain a hopeful spirit. She helps plant the colony's first gardens and composes lighthearted songs to lift the morale of the other young people, including her friend Priscilla Mullins.

Meanwhile, the conflict within the Hopkins household worsens. Giles, falsely accused and proud, refuses to beg his father for forgiveness, leading to a deadlock between the two similar, stubborn men. Captain Myles Standish steps in with a plan to ease the strain, taking Giles along on an exploratory expedition to the north. The journey tempers Giles’s headstrong nature and yields vital geographical knowledge for the colony.

Misfortune continues to test the family. Later, when little Damaris falls dangerously ill from toadstool poisoning, Constance acts swiftly using belladonna to save her half-sister’s life. Exhausted and humbled by Constance's unwavering devotion to the child, Mistress Hopkins finally breaks down. In a public moment of confession, Eliza acknowledges her past cruelty and unjust accusations, lifting the shadow that has long hung over Giles and Constance.

As the years pass, Plymouth Colony slowly grows stronger, weathering the arrival of destitute newcomers from the ship Fortune and establishing peaceful treaties with Chief Massasoit and the local Wampanoag people. The community learns to balance strict Puritan discipline with quiet moments of joy, such as Governor Bradford outwitting the youth on Christmas Day. The novel culminates in 1623 with the arrival of the ship Anne. Among the new passengers is Nicholas Snowe, a young man who is immediately struck by Constance’s grace and beauty. Welcomed by Myles Standish and Stephen Hopkins, Nicholas meets Constance on the shores of Plymouth, marking the beginning of a peaceful future built on hard-won foundations.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Amid severe Atlantic storms aboard the Mayflower, Constance Hopkins nurses her terrified family while enduring the sharp tongue and jealousy of her stepmother, Eliza.

Accusations and wilderness Upon arriving at Plymouth, winter sickness ravages the colony, and Mistress Hopkins falsely accuses Giles of stealing his father's papers, driving a deep wedge between Stephen Hopkins and his son.

Loss and labor As Rose Standish dies from illness, Constance helps comfort Captain Myles Standish while working to plant the settlement's first crops and lift the spirits of the surviving children.

A necessary separation To heal the escalating feud between Stephen and Giles, Captain Standish takes the young boy on an northern exploratory expedition to build his discipline and character.

A crisis resolved When little Damaris accidentally ingests poisonous toadstools, Constance's quick administration of belladonna saves her life, prompting a remorseful Eliza to confess her lies and reconcile with the family.

New arrivals and peace The colony survives lean months, integrates new settlers from the Fortune, and maintains crucial treaties with Massasoit, paving the way for long-term stability.

A new beginning In 1623, the ship Anne arrives at Plymouth, bringing Nicholas Snowe, who meets Constance upon the shore as the community celebrates its survival.

The People

• Constance Hopkins: A resilient, warm-hearted girl who bears heavy domestic burdens without losing her gentle nature. She wants peace in her household and safety for her family, standing as the emotional anchor for those around her.
• Stephen Hopkins: Constance’s father, a strong-willed, noble man of authority. He seeks to govern his home and serve the colony with justice, but his quick temper creates a painful wall between himself and his son.
• Eliza Hopkins: Constance’s stepmother, driven by an insecure, vindictive temper. She seeks to secure advantages for her own biological children by undermining Constance and Giles, though her hostility eventually gives way to remorse.
• Giles Hopkins: Constance’s proud brother, whose deep admiration for his father turns into stubborn bitterness after being falsely accused of theft.
• Myles Standish: The colony’s military leader, a loyal friend to the Hopkins family who offers practical wisdom and military discipline to guide Giles toward manhood.

In Its Own Voice

"Oh, Mistress Hopkins, if you would not hate me, if you would but think me just a little worthy of kindly thoughts--for indeed I am not wicked--the hardship of this voyage would be a cheap price to pay for it!"

Constance pleads with her stepmother amidst the dark, rolling cabin of the Mayflower after being unjustly scolded.

"I will risk a reprimand; it can be no worse than disapproval from Elder Brewster, and belike they will spare me because of the occasion..."

Constance decides to defy strict colony regulations by wearing a knot of rose-colored ribbon and her mother's fine lace to welcome her brother home.

"Nicholas Snowe, this is a Plymouth maid, Constance Hopkins."

Captain Myles Standish introduces the new arrival from the Anne to Constance on the shore after the colony has survived its first hard years.

What It's Really About

Beneath its narrative of historical survival, the book examines the cost of silent sacrifice within a rigid community. It explores how personal pride and unspoken grief can disrupt a family just as destructively as physical hardship or famine. The novel contrasts the strict, unyielding expectations of the Puritan authority with the necessity of grace, forgiveness, and flexible human warmth. Ultimately, it argues that a community’s real strength lies not merely in built stockades or signed treaties, but in the quiet, day-to-day choices of individuals who choose compassion over bitterness in times of extreme deprivation.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to early American history and classic home-front drama will appreciate this unvarnished look at Plymouth Colony. Rather than offering a romanticized legend, the text presents a grounded depiction of the period, detailing the extreme physical discomforts, deadly winter illnesses, and strict social expectations faced by early settlers.

The narrative does reflect 1920s juvenile historical fiction conventions, featuring formal, archaic dialogue ("thee" and "thy") alongside period-typical attitudes regarding Puritan authority and Native relations. However, Constance’s bright, enduring spirit and the vivid descriptions of early colonial domestic life make it an engaging read. It stays with you as an intimate portrait of a young woman finding her voice and securing her place in a tough, unyielding new world.