What document was signed by the Pilgrims to establish a form of self-rule based on majority decision-making?

The Mayflower Compact was a foundational document signed by the Pilgrims in 1620 to establish a system of governance for their new colony in Plymouth. This agreement was significant because it represented the first written framework of government in the United States based on the principles of self-rule and majority decision-making. The signers, recognizing the need for order and cooperation in their new settlement, agreed to create just and equal laws for the general good of the colony. This compact illustrated the Pilgrims’ commitment to democratic principles, as it required that laws be made for the public good and that decisions be made collectively for the benefit of all members of the community. This early form of self-governance laid the groundwork for future democratic frameworks in America.

In contrast, the other documents mentioned either pertain to different contexts or established governance in other regions. The Magna Carta was an English charter that limited the powers of the king and influenced ideas about rights but was not a self-governing document created by colonists. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut established a government framework in that colony but came later than the Mayflower Compact. The Treaty of Paris refers to agreements that ended conflicts, like the American Revolutionary War, and does not pertain to self-rule among