They were not prepared for the harsh winters, half the group died within the first winter because of how harsh it was. Food supplies ran low quickly. The growing season was short and winter was long. Growing crops was difficult in sandy soils. Another hardship was, they had no way to leave Plymouth because the Mayflower had returned to England. When Plymouth was founded the settlers had to form a government from scratch because they came from England with no form of government. They created the Mayflower Compact which helped establish the practice of self-government and by majority rule on board the Mayflower. This helped them form a better government than they had in England so they could be a better society. Unlike some other colonies, Plymouth had a good interaction with the natives. The Native Americans helped, and in some cases, saved the colonists. The Native Americans helped them through the first winter and taught them how to farm so that the colonists could have a reliable food source. In return, the pilgrims helped the Native Americans to defeat rival