The Mayflower Compact provided an important step in the growth of representative government in the English colonies by establishing the principle of self-government based on the consent of the governed. Signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, it created an organized, orderly government where the settlers agreed to obey laws made "for the general good of the colony," thus forming a "Civil Body Politick" that governed by mutual consent
. This compact was significant because it was the first document in the New World to establish self-government and democratic principles, laying the groundwork for later representative government in America. It embodied the idea that government derives its authority from the people it governs, a core democratic concept that influenced future American political documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
. Although not a formal constitution, the Mayflower Compact set a precedent for colonies to govern themselves through laws made by and for the people, rather than by a distant monarch or company officials. This early form of social contract helped maintain unity and order in Plymouth Colony in the absence of other legal authority and demonstrated the settlers' commitment to collective decision-making and common good
. In summary, the Mayflower Compact was a foundational step toward representative government in the English colonies by introducing self- governance, rule by consent, and communal responsibility, which became key elements in the development of American democracy
