I definitely agree, but before reading Bradford, I strongly suggest watching this: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/pilgrims/ https://www.pbs.

I definitely agree, but before reading Bradford, I strongly suggest watching this: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/pilgrims/ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/pilgrims/ I seems to be available free online at the moment. You can also pay to watch on some services. You hear Bradford's actual words spoken by a fine actor in the context of the events he was describing. (They really are his words, not modernized, so some viewers might want to turn on closed captioning.) It's not perfect, but it's the best introduction I know to set the stage for reading Bradford's story of Plymouth. I also suggest establishing a broader foundation in the early colonies with something like the Teaching Company's lectures on America before 1776, available in audio form from Audible.com, which allows one to establish a historical foundation while doing mind-numbing chores like doing the dishes or cleaning the garage.