Final answer:
The first form of government in the U.S. after the Declaration of Independence was under the Articles of Confederation, which correlates to the Mayflower Compact's role in establishing self-government at Plymouth. The correct option is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
Established self-government at Plymouth is to the Mayflower Compact as the first form of government in the U.S. is to the Articles of Confederation.
The Mayflower Compact, drafted because the Pilgrims landed outside the jurisdiction of their original charter, was a formative document that expressed the settlers' intention to self-govern and establish a society based on laws made by the consent of the governed.
Similarly, the Articles of Confederation was the first governing document of the United States, ratified after the Declaration of Independence, which provided a structure for the nascent nation and reflected the Americans' deep-rooted fear of a powerful centralized government, akin to British rule they sought independence from. Therefore, the correct answer is C. Articles of Confederation.