Before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620, they made an important agreement that would shape their new community in the New World. This agreement, known as the Mayflower Compact, was a crucial document that established a system of self-government for the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were a group of English Separatists who were discontent with the Church of England and sought religious freedom in the New World. They were granted a charter to settle in Virginia, but due to stormy weather and navigational errors, they ended up landing in an area that would become Massachusetts.

Before disembarking from the Mayflower, the Pilgrims realized that they had not been granted permission to settle in this new area. Fearing potential conflicts with non-Puritan colonists, they decided to establish a framework for governance that would ensure their survival and maintain order.

On November 21, 1620, 41 male passengers of the Mayflower (who were not servants) signed the Mayflower Compact. The Compact was essentially a written agreement to establish a self-governance system, with the consent of the governed, for the new community.

The Compact declared that the signers would „solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid.“ The Compact also stated that the signers would be loyal to the king and obey the laws of England.

The Mayflower Compact was a groundbreaking document, as it established the idea of self-government in colonial America. It also laid the foundation for democratic governance in the United States, as the concept of consenting to be governed by officials elected by the people became a cornerstone of American democracy.

The Pilgrims` decision to establish a self-governance system based on consent would have far-reaching consequences for the future of the United States. As the country grew and expanded, the principles embodied in the Mayflower Compact would be enshrined in the US Constitution and become fundamental aspects of American democracy.

In conclusion, the Pilgrims` Mayflower Compact was a crucial agreement that set the stage for self-governance in the New World. Its principles would shape the future of the United States and become an enduring part of American democracy.