Founding1620
Mayflower Compact Signed
Forty-one male passengers aboard the Mayflower signed the Mayflower Compact before disembarking at Plymouth. The document established a governing body and pledged the signers to abide by laws created "for the general good of the Colony."
Why It Matters
The Mayflower Compact is considered one of the earliest expressions of democratic self-governance in America, establishing the principle of government by consent of the governed.