Standish, Miles (1584?-1656), came to America with the Pilgrims on the ship Mayflower. He was not a Separatist, and never joined the Pilgrim Church. But he helped the Pilgrims in their plans and in training a militia. See Pilgrims ; Plymouth Colony .
Standish was short and stout and had a quick temper. An enemy once called him “Captaine Shrimpe.” However, the colonists respected his courage and judgment. He learned American Indian languages and managed the colony’s relations with the local Indians. Although unafraid to fight, he maintained the peace with his diplomatic skills.
In 1624, Standish became active in the colony as a political leader. For years, he served as the colony’s treasurer and advised the governor as a member of the Council of Assistants. In 1625, Standish represented Plymouth in discussions with the English merchants who financed the colony, obtaining loans and important supplies. In 1627, along with other leaders, he assumed the colony’s debts. In 1631, Standish helped found Duxbury, Massachusetts, and soon moved there. He lived in Duxbury for the rest of his life. His statue now overlooks the town.
Standish was probably born on the Isle of Man. He fought as a young man against the Spaniards in the Netherlands. Henry W. Longfellow’s account of him in The Courtship of Miles Standish is entirely fictitious (see Longfellow, Henry W. (Narrative poems) ).
