Although Plymouth Colony was not the first English colony in the New World, it retains the distinction, justifiably or not, of being considered "America's Hometown" and "the birthplace of American Democracy". Unfortunately while Plymouth Colony maintains a rich and valuable Native American and Colonial history, the archaeology of the former Plymouth Colony has never been utilized to the degree that we feel it can be. Various institutions maintain collections excavated beginning in the 1850s, that for a variety of reasons (time, financial constraints, lack of staff) have gone unanalyzed and unpublished for decades.