The Mayflower Compact

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Pilgrims' colony was established by the signing of the Mayflower Compact, which also established the concept of "just and equal laws for the general good of the colony". The author points out that this agreement is among the first of the American documents of self-government with unity for the United States, an attempt at establishing the voluntary principles of government, which may be seen to have evolved from the Word of God, with the consent of the citizens. The paper continues that the American Revolution reconstituted the colonies as independent civil societies, and this change required a new round of covenanting, which resulted in the Declaration of Independence.

From the Paper:

"Thomas Hooker, the Mathers, Winthrop and his colleagues and all other Puritan divines have mentioned in their writings that the Puritans of New England had a basic sense of a fundamental conservatism, along with a total radicalism, and this heady mixture formed the basis for the later day citizens for their lives. This mixture certainly was directly related to their religious beliefs, which saw humans as bound to God through predestinations and their covenants, but left them free to live according to their own wishes as per the constitution. (Winthrop, p.82) God provided the salvation for them. To have this constitution accepted by the society required a revolution, but the revolution was necessary for the restoration of harmony to the world. The puritans had come to the new world in search for a new society, but remained still aware of the human weaknesses. This combination always did not hold together. The radicals like Roger Williams and Ann Dickinson broke away from the group almost immediately. Among them, Williams later established the covenantal commonwealth in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; and these were grounded in the covenant in all civil and political matters so that they could guarantee openness in the religious matters. The Puritans had however felt that this was impossible if salvation was to be achieved."

More papers on The Mayflower Compact:

• Research Paper # 96895 : "The Mayflower Compact" and "Of Plymouth Plantation"
• Comparison Essay # 130919 : "The 'Mayflower Compact' and The 'Arbella Covenant'"
• Essay # 65156 : "The Founding Documents"

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