Why is the Mayflower Compact significant?

Question

(1 point)
It was the first written document forbidding colonists from voting directly on laws.
It was the first written
• document that did not recognize citizens' rights.
It was the first written
• expression of citizens' rights by the colonists.
It was the first written
• government document not created by the colonists.

Answer 1

The significance of the Mayflower Compact is best captured by the statement: It was the first written expression of citizens' rights by the colonists.

The Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, laid the foundation for self-government in the Plymouth Colony. It established a social contract in which the signers agreed to form a government and abide by its rules for the sake of their mutual survival and well-being. This document is often seen as an important step toward democratic governance in America.