Why Is The Mayflower Compact Important

Elizabeth Tilley Howland Scholarship Award Essay Catharine Knowles 2017 In government, precedence is key. Without the historic case of Roe v. Wade, each state would have different laws in regards to a woman 's choice. McCulloch v. Maryland handed down a decision based on the implied powers of the federal government. Marbury v. Madison set forth the precedent of Judicial Review, which now allows the supreme court to rule a law unconstitutional. Similarly, the government of the pilgrims has had the same effect on American government, even today. When the Mayflower Compact came around in 1620, it allowed the pilgrims the ability to self govern. In other words, the Mayflower Compact allowed the pilgrims to handle their own affairs, while still remaining

Without the Mayflower Compact, the American people might still be governed by England. Similarly, the journey of the pilgrims to find religious and moral freedom has become a symbolic pillar of our nation 's values. When the pilgrims came to America, they were searching for one thing in particular. Their religious freedom, and they were willing to fight tooth and nail for it. Today, freedom is the cornerstone of what it means to be an American. When asked what they thought it was to be an American, most people would reply with an answer about how, as an American, they had the right to be free. Whether it be the freedom to practice any religion (just like the pilgrims fought for), or it be the freedom to speak freely without fear of an oppressive government. When the pilgrims achieved this freedom, they set forth the idea that an American, at their very core, had the right to be free. Without this value, the landscape of modern society, as well as what it means to be an American, might look very different. In short: the pilgrims had a monumental effect on today 's American government. Without the Mayflower Compact, and the subsequent precedent of self governing, American government would be based on totally different