The Mayflower Compact was a social contract signed by the Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower in 1620. The underlying principle of the Mayflower Compact was self-governance, as the Pilgrims sought to establish a civil body politic in the New World. The Compact served as an agreement among the settlers to form a government, make laws, and enforce rules for the good of the community. It represented a step towards democratic governance and was one of the first examples of a written constitution in the American colonies. The Mayflower Compact helped lay the foundation for the later development of democratic governance in the United States.