Priscilla Alden

Longfellow was a direct descendant of John and Priscilla, and based his poem on a romanticized version of a family tradition although, until recently, there was little independent historical evidence for the account.

The basic story was apparently handed down in the Alden family and published by John and Priscilla's great-great-grandson Rev.

[4] Scholars have recently confirmed the cherished place of romantic love in Pilgrim culture,[5] and have documented the Indian war described by Longfellow.

Miles Standish and John Alden were likely roommates;[7] Priscilla Mullins was the only single woman of marriageable age.

[6] The families of the alleged lovers remained close for several generations, moving together to Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the late 1620s.

Priscilla and John Alden depicted on a postcard
Myles Standish Burial Ground , the final resting place of John and Priscilla Alden
A scene from Longfellow's The Courtship of Miles Standish , showing Standish looking upon Alden and Mullins during the bridal procession