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The 1620s: 1620–1629
1620–1629 · worldwide, all places
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This was a decade of people crossing borders for their beliefs, often at gunpoint. In 1620, a small group of English Puritans sailed to America aboard the Mayflower, seeking religious freedom they couldn't find at home. Meanwhile in central Europe, the Thirty Years' War was tearing through Germany — a brutal religious and political conflict between Catholic and Protestant states — while in France, Cardinal Richelieu consolidated royal power in a glittering, dangerous Parisian court.
In 1620, a small group of English Puritans crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower to found a new colony, while the Thirty Years' War ground on in Germany, driving refugees and mercenaries across the continent. Fiction from this decade follows both kinds of journey — Mayflower tells the pilgrims' story, and The Three Musketeers is set in the swagger and intrigue of Richelieu's Paris during these same years. Open the 1620s on the StoryTerra map and explore its stories by place.
10 famous stories set in the 1620s
Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-05). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 11 books and 5 movies set in the 1620s (1620–1629).
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
HOW DID AMERICA BEGIN?This simple question launches acclaimed author Nathaniel Philbrick on an extraordinary journey to understand the truth behind our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflower and the…
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower
So much more than simply the story of the Thanksgiving meal the epic saga of the Pilgrims is one of the fundamental narratives of our nation. This ambitious documentary presents the definitive history of the Pilgrims…
Our Lady of San Juan, Four Centuries of Miracles
In this dramatization the Virgin Mary works a miracle on a girl in 1623 Mexico. Four centuries later a family make a pilgrimage for their own child.
Les Trois Mousquetaires & Vingt ans après
Les deux premiers romans de la trilogie des Mousquetaires, le dernier étant Le Vicomte de Bragelonne
Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure
In 1620 the Assembly of the Pilgrims decides to emigrate to the young America because of the persecution they suffer by the English crown. The film tells the adventurous journey of the Pilgrims to an unknown land and…
The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World
In stunning prose, Philbrick evokes the drama of the voyage of the Mayflower and the eerie emptiness of coastal Massachusetts that greeted the Pilgrims. Specially adapted for middle-grade readers, this nonfiction book…
Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny
In 1628 the Dutch East India Company loaded the Batavia, the flagship of its fleet, with a king’s ransom in gold, silver, and gems for her maiden voyage to Java; the ship itself was a tangible symbol of the world’s…
El sol de Breda
El sol de Breda escenifica las batallas y el asedio de la ciudad de Breda en 1625 por los Tercios españoles en Flandes. El joven vasco Íñigo de Balboa es el narrador, como siempre, pero ahora adquiere en este relato un…
Galgenmädchen
Die 14-Jährige Beutelschneiderin Gitte Niemandstochter hat schon die Schlinge um den Hals, als sie in letzter Minute dem Galgen entkommt. Statt des sicheren Todes erwartet sie eine Seereise nach Sevilla, wo sie für den…
Under the Red Robe
In 1620s France dreaded swordsman Gil de Berault returns from carrying out a mission for Cardinal Richelieu and finds the Cardinal worried about growing opposition from the Huguenots in the south. The Cardinal also…
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 16 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 1620–1629 catalogue, use the button above — or browse the whole 17th century. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
Relevant picks from this decade
Dutch Golden Age Amsterdam: 1600–1700 — A booming 17th-century trade hub full of artists, merchants, and explorers — inspiring many stories and paintings, from Vermeer's studios to tulip… Explore Dutch Golden Age Amsterdam: 1600–1700
Spanish Golden Age: 1500–1700 — A flourishing era of art, literature, and maritime expansion that made Spain a global power — Quixote's windmills, Lope's Madrid stages, Velázquez's… Explore Spanish Golden Age: 1500–1700
Edo Japan: 1603–1868 — Step back to Edo Japan, where samurai culture, ukiyo-e art, and strict social orders shaped a unique society rich in stories of honor and conflict.… Explore Edo Japan: 1603–1868
Colonial Canada: 1600–1867 — Early French and British colonial struggles, indigenous relations, and the birth of a nation rich in multicultural stories — coureurs des bois,… Explore Colonial Canada: 1600–1867
Ming China: 1368–1644 — Known for its cultural achievements and exploration, the Ming dynasty influenced East Asia's history and folklore profoundly — treasure fleets,… Explore Ming China: 1368–1644
Historic Edinburgh: 1600–1900 — From medieval Old Town and the imposing castle to the intellectual vibrancy of the Scottish Enlightenment and beyond — a center of politics,… Explore Historic Edinburgh: 1600–1900
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1610s · 17th century · Time hub · All places · 1630s