So what is the big deal about the Mayflower Compact? Why is this supposed to be of any importance. It may not look like it but this document bordered on rebellion and could have been called treason. This is the day of the Divine Right of Kings. Nobility had limited freedom. Common people had no rights. It was almost impossible to own land. Very few were allowed to vote or run for office. If the king did not endorse it, it did not happen.
Take for instance what many people call the King James Version of the Bible. It is officially called the Authorized Version because it was developed with the approval of King James I. It was only because he gave them permission that they were able to work. It was only because he endorsed it that the translation was published and became the standard Bible of English speaking Christians.
So lets get back to the Pilgrims. They had the king’s permission to go to Virginia and start a colony. Unfortunately, a storm blew them off course and they landed far north of where they were supposed to be. So to start with they were in the wrong place. Then, instead of heading south like obedient subjects they decided to stay where they were and become citizens. They did not have permission to do so. That was an act of rebellion right there.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.