 After the departure of Massasoit and his men , Squanto remained in Plymouth to teach the Pilgrims how to survive in New England , for example using dead fish to fertilize the soil . For the first few years of colonial life , the fur trade was the dominant source of income , buying furs from Native Americans and selling to Europeans , beyond subsistence farming . Shortly after the departure of the Mayflower , Governor Carver suddenly died . William Bradford was elected to replace him and went on to lead the colony through much of its formative years . 
