On November 11, 1620, while anchored off the coast of present-day Massachusetts, 41 adult male passengers of the Mayflower signed the Mayflower Compact. The document was drafted to establish a civil government and proclaim the settlers' allegiance to the king, serving as the first framework of government written in the territory that is now the United States. It was a pioneering act of self-governance in the New World, establishing a precedent for democratic rule. The Compact was a vital step in the founding of Plymouth Colony.

The Mayflower Compact is a foundational document in American political and literary history, embodying the principles of consent and self-government. It has been lauded in political speeches and historical poetry as a precursor to the U.S. Constitution. The document itself, with its plain language and covenant theology, has been studied as a key text in the American literary and political tradition, representing an early expression of American ideals.