The Magna Carta was an important document that established the principle of the rule of law by subjecting even the King to the law. The Mayflower Compact was the first agreement for self-government to be created and enforced in America. The English Bill of Rights was an act passed by the English Parliament in 1689 that created the separation of powers and bolstered democracy. Common sense was a document written by Thomas Paine that argued for independence from England and the creation of a democratic republic.