Mayflower Compact Dbq

The colonist at that time had no representation in parliament therefore we were excluded from the benefits they provided. After requesting representation several times with rejection, they decided it was best to become a sovereign nation that would make decisions founded on the people’s needs. Subsequently reflecting on these experiences, the colonist heads drafted this document which ultimately became the first of its kind separating the colonies British rule and outlined the rights and grievances that they would have as a free Nation. One theory that I recall from my Philosophy studies is how Utilitarian ethical theories focus on what benefit the majority unlike that of parliament. I believe that the current laws that we live by are in line with that theory and has helped to make our Nation one of the most desirable to live. Because of this document, we are now a nation with equal opportunities for all and laws designed not to discriminate against any one set of people. Had we remained under British government, we would have continued to be subjected to decisions that negatively affected our economy. The declaration helps us as a Nation to have a better probability for economic growth because it declared that the people were to be represented and not just the interest of the

Written documents proved to be a major influence on the unification of the American colonies. Beginning as early as 1620, when the Separatist Pilgrims left the jurisdiction of the Church of England and escaped the “Dutchification” of their children in Holland to go to the New World, the establishment of self-government through the Mayflower Compact became present. It was heavily based off of the Magna Carta of 1215 which provided the foundation of the rule of law. Created and signed by the adult males onboard, the document stated that the Pilgrims would “combine [themselves] together into one civil body politic, for [their] better ordering and preservation” (Document 1). It went on to declare that they would abide by the newly formed laws and elect officers. This led to the creation of town meetings, places of direct democracy where men could work together with each other to create laws.

In the Mayflower Compact, it shows limited government and having themselves together in one civil body politic. In the Constitution it says, “We the people” showing that there are people that will be on their own. In the Mayflower Compact it states, “and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic”(Mayflower Compact). Also, in the Constitution it states, “We the people of the United States”(Constitution). These relate to one another because they are both saying that these people are willing to be on there own and do what they think needs to be done in order to have a good system

Without the governing rules and regulations outlined in the patent, the governance and rule of the territory was in question. The Pilgrims were afraid that some of the passengers, called “Strangers” because they had travelled to the new world for non-religious reasons, “would insist upon complete freedom” ashore (Sargent 236). In order for the settlement to survive, the Pilgrims needed a way to govern and maintain peace amongst themselves. The compact was designed to as an “attempt to squelch faction and to insure unity and concord so that the plantation might survive” (Sargent 236). The Mayflower Compact laid the groundwork for a future government in America in the following

Mayflower Compact-signed before leaving the ship, the Mayflower Compact wad the first form of self government within the colonies. It was not a constitution but an agreement to form a crude government and to submit to the will of the majority under the regulations agreed upon. The compact would set a precedent for future constitutions

The ideas in the Mayflower Compact were later transferred into the Declaration of Independence and gave footing for democracy in America.

-It it clear and reasonable that the declaration was made for many causes that weren’t being attended because of the British thinking that even the lowest class in the military was above the civil law of the colonies, and that no one should immigrate to such a place, taking away so many laws from the people making them pay high taxes well mainly the rich for the lands they owned which was good in a way but for all those who wrote the declaration that mainly had a lot of land it was horrible, but for the poor folk it was good in a way but not even for the poorest of peasants to be able to trade with other merchants from other countries ruined the economy in the colonies. Great Britain was the only country and place they could and would trade to it was illegal for the colonists to be able to make money by trading their raw material with any other country.

This document attempted “... to temporarily establish that government until a more official one could be drawn up in England that would give them the right to self-govern themselves in New England”( MayflowerHistory.com) . While the Compact could be seen as a basis for the Constitution, in reality it was not.

In the Mayflower Compact it talks about how everyone is equal in the eyes of God, and how America was going to be the first ever true democratic government; with fair and equal laws. The government today is fair and is making new laws to help all people. About 50-200 years ago, we wouldn't have been able to say this because of the white supremacy and all the unfair laws that existed back then. These days, people have a wider range of communication with the use of social media and smartphones. This allows people to make many new friends online and to keep up with news anywhere in the

The creation the Mayflower compact was a very significant event in the history of the United States because of its example of a the first type of government in North America. The Mayflower Compact was draw up by a group of people known as Pilgrims in 1620. These people, mostly English, were in search of more religious freedom and better lives in the New World. 100 pilgrims began this journey in September of 1620 (History.com staff). Before, landing in New England, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact. This legal document created “just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices” (History.com staff). This was the first example of a self-government in the New World. The founding fathers would later use many of the ideas in the Mayflower Compact in other governing documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Through these examples, it is clear that the Mayflower Compact is significant to American history because it provided many ideas of self government that are still used in our governing documents today.

The Mayflower Compact, written and signed in 1620 by forty-one white men aboard a ship called the Mayflower, provided basic laws for those who first arrived in America. Eventually the thirteen colonies expanded, which brought an economical benefit and expanded trade for Britain. However, in the mid-1700s, Britain pushed the colonists to their limits, imposing them with unfair taxes. As a result, in 1775, colonists revolted in the American Revolution. When the war ended, colonists gained their freedom, from Britain, with the signing of The Treaty of Paris (1783).

The differences between these colonies also arose due to different opinion on functioning of the government and ideologies. New England, being majorly settled by the Puritans, was intolerant to all other religions. The one exception to this was the colony of Rhode Island. Because it was settled by a dissenter from the Massachusetts Bay colony, it was the only New England colony to have complete religious freedom. Most of the New England based groups wanted to reform the Anglican Church from inside. The Chesapeake region was completely tied to the Anglican Church and did not care about reforming it in any way. The New England colonies also had a large central government which allowed for their administrations to be more organized and uniform throughout the region. This idea came from the Mayflower Compact signed at Plymouth by the Pilgrims. The American Pageant describes it as, “ It was simple agreement to form a crude government and submit to the will of the majority under the regulations agreed upon” (Bailey 47 ). According to Document A,

So, the idea was simple, the colonies wanted to be their own separate land, not bound to anyone country from the old land. This idea spread for years, taking a look at the Document D is a perfect example of this--Benjamin Franklin's 1754 famous “join or die” woodcut was the perfect embodiment of why the colonies need to join together. The woodcut was originally used to get support for the Britain in the Seven Years War, as some colonies did not want to fight. Later this same symbol became a call for war against the British, this simple woodcut symbolized the idea that without full support from every colony, a revolution for freedom could not be

The Declaration of Independence was the first document to be adopted by the founding fathers in 1776. Its main purpose was to separate from the British Monarchy. The colonists knew this would be a clear step towards a new form of practicing self-government. The form in which the colonist decided to move towards was a Democracy. Which was shown in the U.S Constitution. This meant that everyone would have a part in the new government system unlike the British where one had little to no say. With this declaration, the 13 Colonies became the United States of America.

Without the Compact, these pilgrims would've killed each other. They didn't like each other because their strong religious beliefs were so different. The Puritans thought that the Anglican religion was so bad that they had to ‘purify’ it, and the Separatists thought that they had to separate themselves from the Anglicans because of how wrong they were. These 3 religions were basically enemies, and they weren't under the king’s jurisdiction so they could've easily turned on each other. But the Mayflower Compact was meant to help establish a stable settlement.