-the mayflower compact
-the charter establishing the virginia house of burgesses
-the fundamental orders of connecticut
These three documents are all significant in the history of early American government and represent important steps towards self-government and democratic principles in the New World.
The Mayflower Compact was a key agreement signed by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620 before they landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It established a form of self-government and set forth the idea of majority rule, laying the foundation for democratic governance in the colonies.
The charter establishing the Virginia House of Burgesses, granted in 1619 by King James I, created the first representative legislative assembly in the American colonies. The House of Burgesses allowed Virginia colonists to have a voice in their government and helped establish the precedent of representative government in the New World.
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, adopted in 1639, were the first written constitution in America and established a framework for self-government in the colony of Connecticut. The document outlined the powers and organization of the government, including the election of officials and the rights of citizens, and influenced the development of democratic principles in colonial America.