Day+2

Learning lessons from the failure of earlier settlers to this new world due to lack of a government, the pilgrims/immigrants in New Plymouth decided to establish a social covenant entitled Mayflower Compact. The purpose of this agreement is for the sake of collective survival and general good of the settlers. The Mayflower Compact is the first document in American history demonstrating the attempt to form a government based on the concept that government should derive its power from the “consent of the governed.” It not only led to survival, success and prosperity of this community, but it also turned out to be the foundation of the American constitution and corner stone of the American government. This session will find out who these people are, why they broke of tradition of royal rule and set up a government with majority rule instead. What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact in the growth of American society and the United States?

Questions: Who are Puritans? Who are Separatists? Who are strangers? Why do all these people want to go to the New World at risk of life and comfort living in England? What kind of challenges did they meet on the voyage first, and in this new land later? Why did they decide to establish a social contract entitled Mayflower Compact? What is the significance of Mayflower Compact?