The Pilgrims' government came about because they wanted to create a fair and peaceful way to govern themselves when they arrived in America. After leaving England to escape religious persecution, they landed in a place where they didn’t have an official government. To avoid chaos and arguments among themselves, they decided to come together and make a set of rules. This agreement was called the Mayflower Compact.
The existence of their government was important because it was one of the first forms of self-government in America. It showed that the Pilgrims valued cooperation and wanted to create a community where everyone had a say. By signing the Mayflower Compact, they agreed to work together for the good of the group, which helped them build a successful settlement. This idea of self-governance would influence future generations and the development of democracy in the United States.