Final answer:
The Mayflower Compact was drafted by the Pilgrims because they landed outside the Virginia Company's jurisdiction, needed to establish self-governance without a charter, and wanted to create social cohesion in their new settlement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passengers on the Mayflower felt the need to create the Mayflower Compact because when they landed in an area north of their intended destination which was outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company, they had no governmental charter to guide them. The Mayflower Compact was necessary to establish a framework for governing themselves in this new land, named 'New England' by John Smith, where they had no legal claim to the land under English law. By signing the document, they agreed to form a social contract that would bind them to govern themselves collectively and maintain a society based on the general good, reflecting their desires for self-rule and direct democracy, as well as their intention to found a colony for both the glory of God and the good of their country.