What agreement did the Pilgrims sign aboard the Mayflower in 1620?

The Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact aboard the Mayflower in 1620.

The agreement was signed on November 11, 1620, before the settlers went ashore at Plymouth. Its signers pledged to form a civil body politic and create laws for the colony’s general good.

The document was shaped by the practical need to establish authority after the voyage brought the settlers to an area outside their original patent. It did not create a modern democracy or guarantee equal participation for everyone; women, Native peoples, and many others were excluded from its political system.

The Mayflower Compact is remembered as an early example of colonial self-government. It is distinct from the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, adopted later in 1639, and from the 1776 Declaration of Independence.