Question

" We, whose names are underwritten . . . solemnly and mutually. . . covenant [ agree to ] and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick [ government], for our better Ordering and Preservation."

- excerpt from the Mayflower Compact
This part of the mayflower compact is an example of how the colonists put which of the following into practice?

Answer 1

The Mayflower Compact represents the colonists' creation of a self-governing body and social contract due to their landing outside of their charter's jurisdiction, binding them together for mutual survival and order.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt from the Mayflower Compact is an example of how the colonists put into practice the concept of creating a government by social contract. They pledged to form a civil Body Politick, essentially agreeing to govern themselves and establish a social order based on the laws and agreements they would create collectively. This was particularly necessary because they landed outside of their charter's jurisdiction from the Virginia Company and, without any legally recognized claim to the land, needed to establish a mode of governance to maintain order and survival in the new world. The Mayflower Compact served as a foundational document for self-rule in Plymouth until the colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692.

The excerpt from the Mayflower Compact is an example of how the colonists put self-governance into practice. The Pilgrims, as described in the Compact, declared their intention to form a civil body politic and establish laws for the better ordering and preservation of their colony. This agreement allowed the colonists to govern themselves and create a system of social order.