Why is the mayflower important
Mayflower Compact Explained
hello welcome to a plush simplified
today we're looking at the famous
Mayflower Compact written in 1620 during
the voyage of the pilgrims and others to
establish the Plymouth Colony first but
for the document in historical context
in the early 1600s Great Britain was
catching up to other European powers
especially Spain who had suffered a
major defeat with their failed invasion
of England a few decades prior the
Virginia Colony had been established but
was in need of more settlers in other
important developments the Protestant
Reformation had swept through Great
Britain several decades prior Henry the
eighth's cemented a split with AG Roman
Catholic Church which then created the
Anglican Church of England however some
people within Great Britain felt the
Anglican Church needed more Protestant
reform one of those groups were the
Puritans who followed Calvinist
Christian beliefs including that of
predestination at certain points
Puritans were persecuted for their
beliefs as they ran counter to the
official teachings of the Church of
England a subgroup within the Puritans
were the pilgrims who felt they needed
to completely separate from the Church
of England this small group was able to
line up a few investors for a Plymouth
Colony in the new world about a hundred
to settlers set sail for Virginia on the
Mayflower
an important note is that not all of
them were pilgrims and there was a real
divide aboard the Mayflower between the
Pilgrims and others who they referred to
as the strangers trouble struck when
rough seas blew the ships off course and
they would need to land well north of
the Virginia Colony
this caused heightened tensions between
the pilgrims and the strangers on board
the Mayflower the divide threatened the
whole journey as mutiny was a real
possibility an agreement was signed
between the strangers and the pilgrims
we know as the Mayflower Compact
[Music]
now taking a look at the compact itself
an important detail is that it mentions
King James as their sovereign and the
colonists would remain loyal subjects
this was probably a compromise between
the strangers and pilgrims as the
pilgrims were originally seeking
complete separation however the
strangers had no intention of next is
that Christian faith is very prevalent
in the documents as the Grace and
presence of God is mentioned the purpose
of the Mayflower Compact is for a social
contract that establishes law and order
for the sake of survival a few key
quotes include covenant and combine
ourselves together into a civil body
politic for our better ordering and
preservation and by virtue hereof do
enact constitute and frame such just an
equal laws ordinance Acts constitutions
and officers from time to time thou
shalt be thought most meat and
convenient the general good of a colony
end quote finally let's look at the
impact and legacy of the Mayflower
Compact the early years of the Plymouth
Colony were very difficult half died in
the first year alone however despite the
difficulties the colonists worked
together also more settlers arrived and
set up small towns nearby these
Commonwealth's had a degree of democracy
as male church members could vote on
local laws and issues they all sent
representatives to a General Court this
shows an early successful attempt at
democracy in the British colonies thanks
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