83.9k views
4 votes
The Mayflower Compact

A) Strengthened the tradition of representative government in the colonies.
B) Was an example of the failure of self-government in a colony.
C) Emphasized the separation of colonists from the Church of England.
D) Outlawed the practice of slavery in North America.

User Swix
by
8.5k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The Mayflower Compact was a pioneering document that strengthened the tradition of self-governance and representative government in the North American colonies by establishing laws created by the colonists themselves.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Mayflower Compact did strengthen the tradition of representative government in the colonies. When the English Separatists, known as the Pilgrims, landed in North America, they found themselves outside the territory of their charter from the Virginia Company. Recognizing the need for order and governance, and with no official charter to guide them, they drafted the Mayflower Compact. This document established a social contract that the male voters of the colony would create their own laws, thereby creating a form of self-rule and direct democracy. It set a precedent in the colonies for creating governments based on the will of the people, and contributed to the development of representative government throughout the colonies, where men were elected to make laws for their fellow colonists.

User CherryNerd
by
8.0k points