John Alden was an English colonist who arrived in America on the Mayflower in 1620. He is best known for his role in the courtship of Priscilla Mullins, which was immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem 'The Courtship of Miles Standish'. Alden was a signatory of the Mayflower Compact and served as an assistant to Governor William Bradford. He was also a member of the first Plymouth Colony militia and held several public offices.