The Mayflower Compact

"The Mayflower Compact" is a governing document written in 1620 by men aboard the Mayflower. Forced off course to Cape Cod instead of Virginia, the passengers faced potential mutiny from those claiming freedom from agreed-upon authority. To maintain order, forty-one men signed this covenant, creating a civil government based on majority rule while pledging loyalty to the English Crown. It became Plymouth Colony's founding document and an early example of self-governance in America.

The Mayflower Compact, from the public domain. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #7.