1.)The
Mayflower Compact was written in order to create a governing body in the new world.
This governing body consisted of all the men whose names were signed below and provided
the small population with a guideline to follow. It allowed the people to have a
say in their government which is essentially the base of a democracy. The Mayflower Compact was also written in the name
of God and of King James. So even though the colonists set in place their own type
of government they still had a strong sense of loyalty to the King.
2.)The
Mayflower Compact was set up by people leaving the Old World so they obviously
had reasons for leaving. Despite their actions it can be seen in the Mayflower Compact
that the colonists were still attached to the Old World. For instance the fact that
the colonists pledge their faith to King James shows that even though they had reason
to leave they still depended on the crown. Landing in the New World gave the colonists
a new beginning and allowed them to be more liberal. They were able to be more liberal
in their choice of government. It is stated in the Mayflower Compact that the men
“combine ourselves together in a civil Body Politick” which conveys the idea of
democracy. The Mayflower Compact shows that the people who signed it were attached
to both the New and Old worlds.
3.)The
Mayflower Compact, while quite efficient for its time, soon became old-fashioned.
The Fundamental Orders of 1939 are more sophisticated and allows more people to be
represented by an ordered government. The Mayflower Compact called for all the men
who signed it, most of the men in Cape-Cod, to be a part of a democratic government
and the Fundamental Orders was formed for a larger population. The Fundamental Orders,
also, are more similar to the current government in the U.S. than the Mayflower Compact.
One major difference between the Fundamental Orders and the Mayflower Compact is
that in the Mayflower Compact the King is included several times, but in the Fundamental
Orders he is not one of the main focal points. Basically, the Fundamental Orders
build off of the Mayflower Compact to better govern a larger population and also
shows how time can loosen the loyalty to ones country while living far away from
it.
4.)The
colonists at the time of the Mayflower Compact were small in numbers, but when the
Fundamental Orders were created there were several towns in Connecticut. The Fundamental
Orders allowed for the colony to have an official plan. This means that there will
be several people able to make up the government, but the people are still involved
by voting on them. The need for an official plan was eminent in the New World and
allowed for the evolution of what is now U.S.’s current government.
5.)It
is apparent that the colonists who created the Fundamental Orders wanted to make
sure that there wasn’t too much power placed on the Governor or the Magistrates.
The Governor is only to be in office for a limited amount of time and there were
only to be six Magistrates in total. This is where the colonists can be seen straying
from the King because there wasn’t a mention of him in the document and they obviously
don’t want to give power to one person. The colonists may have feared that if one
person had all of the power that they would start acting like a monarch. Because
the colonists were used to living separate from the King, it was easier for them
to assume there democratic rights. The fear of the colonists can be seen in the
Fundamental Orders, but it may have been smart to set up several safeguards in order
to protect their rights.
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