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Mayflower Compact

1620 · 17th century

The Mayflower Compact was an agreement signed by 41 men aboard the Mayflower off Cape Cod on 11 November 1620 (Old Style), before the settlers went ashore. Lacking a valid patent for New England, they bound themselves into a 'civil body politic' to make just laws for the general good. It served as the basis of government in Plymouth Colony and is seen as an early American charter of self-government.

Mayflower Compact
Image: Jean Leon Gerome Ferris · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Plymouth Colony

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Mayflower Compact. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mayflower-compact
MLA
“Mayflower Compact.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mayflower-compact. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Mayflower Compact.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mayflower-compact.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Mayflower Compact’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mayflower-compact (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻