THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT Why did the Pilgrims sign

THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT • Why did the Pilgrims sign the Mayflower Compact? • How did the Mayflower Compact influence American government?

Wrong Destination • Plymouth was out of the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company. • Not all of the people aboard the Mayflower were Pilgrims. Some were hired hands or indentured servants, they were referred to as “strangers. ” • According to Bradford, the “strangers” threatened to rebel because no one had power to command them!

The Compact • Back in England, authority to govern came from the King, but here it would come from the people themselves. • The Compact was signed by the adult male colonists, including 2 indentured servants.

What it contained: • Recognized the authority of God and the King. • Expressed the idea of self- government for the first time in the New World.

What it did NOT contain: • The colonists had no intention of declaring independence from the King.

What’s next… • Immediately elected John Carver as governor. He died less than a year later. • William Bradford replaced him and was reelected 30 times between 1621 and 1656. • Each year the “Civil Body Politic” of all adult males assembled to elect the governor. • As the colony grows, deputies are sent to represent each town at the General Court sessions…. beginnings of representative government too.