Mayflower Factsheets
The Mayflower Compact
What was the Mayflower
Compact and what did it say?
The Mayflower Compact is a key event
throughout the story of the Mayflower
voyage.
The Compact, drawn up by the Pilgrims and
signed by 41 men on board the Mayflower,
became the agreement for self-governance
until they were able to have the opportunity to
set up a full government. The Compact would
go on to form the basis of the American
Constitution.
Learn more
• The Pilgrim Museum website (based in
Plymouth, MA) holds a whole wealth of
Mayflower information, but here you can
read the text of the Mayflower Compact
as well as a list of the original pilgrims that
signed it.
• History.com provides films on the
Mayflower Compact in addition to other
Mayflower events, which can be used to
explain the event in visual form.
• A Heritage pack for schools is available
for download from the Pilgrims UK Origins
Association, which contains activities and
images on Mayflower topics including
the Mayflower Compact (Pages 25 & 26).
We must note that the Heritage pack was
created in 2009, so will not be in line with
the UK’s current curriculum, but can provide
a useful basis for activity planning.
Mayflower Compact image source: Wikipedia