What was the Mayflower Compact?

• A. A treaty between Pilgrims and Native Americans
• B. A document forming localized government dedicated to God and obedience. 1620
• C. A declaration of independence
• D. A voyage charter

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is that the Mayflower Compact established an early form of self-government through a social contract among the settlers. It was a formal agreement signed by the adult male passengers in 1620 to create a civil body politic and to enact laws for the general good of the colony, with those laws to be made and followed by the consent of the governed. This set up a framework of local governance as they settled in a place outside their original charter’s reach, emphasizing order and mutual obligation.

This isn’t about a treaty with Native Americans, a declaration of independence, or a voyage charter. It’s about creating a governing structure for their new community, based on consent and the rule of law, rather than relying on the authority of a distant company. It helped establish the idea that orderly government in the colonies would come from the people agreeing to be governed and to abide by laws enacted for the common good.