Mayflower Compact Principle

The Mayflower Compact was the first document creating a crude agreement for self-government in America and has been referred to

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.

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.

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.

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,

became a royal colony directly under his control. In contrast, The New Englanders took political interests in account in they way from England when they prepared the Mayflower Compact. The pact eventually led to the patriarchal society assembling to make their own laws in open-discussions in town meetings and general court. Unlike, the Chesapeake, the New Englanders were fortunate to have leaders like William Bradford to emerge as Governor and enforce God's biblical laws and Christian values to make the theocratic government successful.

The most important idea of the Mayflower Compact was the fact that it was the first rules created by the Pilgrims made for the New World. It was signed by 41 colonists on the Mayflower on November 11th, 1620, it was the first written government of what is now the United States. The Mayflower's destination was Virginia, but due to a storm they ended up at Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts. The Pilgrim Leader, William Bradford and other Males among the Mayflower created a compact that bound all signers to accept whatever government was

Document One, The Mayflower Compact of 1620, declares that the colonies should enact equal and justified laws. Continuing, this document declares that they speak for the general public, as they state what should take place if the colonies were to be unified. However, the propositions that are spoken of are to be what God desires. Another document that is similar to the first is the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut as they include God as a major role in their ideal government. However, this document is more faithful to their religion as one of their primary goals is to preserve the liberty and purity of Jesus. Additionally, they declare that the united government should dispose of any affairs of the people, instead of creating justified laws.

The Mayflower Compact, being the first governing document in the New World, was based on good intentions. William Bradford justifies the Mayflower Compact for the good of the colony and religion. The Mayflower Compact was wrote to combine the people together in the colony. It was to help the colony religiously advance, and to show honor to the King of England by its togetherness. They Mayflower Compact was created for equality in law and in Government. The Mayflower Compact is exactly like a Declaration of Independence for the Colonists. The Mayflower Compact set the outline for the Government in the Virginia colony. This is an example of indepedence because the colonists were self-governing. The colonists were separated from England.

One of the main reasons to establish the Mayflower Compact was governing laws for and by the people. The Compact created the idea of a social contract . A social contract is authorized to follow the compact's rules and regulations for the sake of order and survival. “Civil Body Politic” purpose was to set equal law for the pilgrims and stranger on the Mayflower ship.

Some people called Separatists, later who would be living in the Chesapeake region, wanted a government that was self-governed. In result, they wrote the Mayflower Compact which explained their beliefs. The other people had a whole different idea about what the government should be. This group of people were called the Puritans. The Puritans believed in the idea of “a city upon a hill,” which meant that they wanted to be a model of Christian charity.

There they set up an early form of self government and liberty with the Mayflower Compact.