By the end of the seventeenth century, people in Plymouth enjoyed more comfortable lives than the first colonists.  Luxury became evident among the wealthier and more established families.  Portraits and furniture show this affluence clearly.  When former governor Edward Winslow and his son Josiah visited London in 1651, Edward and Josiah, with Josiah’s bride, Penelope Pelham, had their portraits painted in stylish clothing.
Portrait of Penelope Pelham Winslow

Trade networks and the development of local industries meant that people could buy more goods.  Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were colonies of Great Britain.  As colonies they were expected to provide a market for English goods.  

A series of importation acts in the 1660s limited the colonies' trade with other countries but, through England, the New England colonies had access to diverse goods from around the world, including wine from Germany, Delft dishes from the Netherlands, and exotic goods like cane for chair seats and Malacca poles from the South Seas for walking sticks. Tin-glazed earthenware dish made in Holland, c1690.

In the meantime, Boston craftsmen and entrepreneurs began to produce many finished goods on this side of the Atlantic.  Many of these goods were sold to Plymouth colonists.  The Saugus Ironworks was founded in 1643, and provided iron goods such as tools, nails and cast fire backs for New England customers.  Silversmiths began minting New England coinage as early as 1651.

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