The Mayflower Compact of 1620 is widely cited as one of the earliest examples of self-governance by European settlers in North America — a document signed aboard ship before the Pilgrims even landed, establishing majority-rule consent among the colonists. This quarter is part of the ongoing American Women Quarters Program, though the Compact itself predates any formal U.S. institution by 150 years, which gives the issue an unusually long historical reach for the series.
The Mayflower Compact of 1620 is widely cited as one of the earliest examples of self-governance by European settlers in North America — a document signed aboard ship before the Pilgrims even landed, establishing majority-rule consent among the colonists. This quarter is part of the ongoing American Women Quarters Program, though the Compact itself predates any formal U.S. institution by 150 years, which gives the issue an unusually long historical reach for the series.