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reACTIONary

(6,933 posts)
24. The Mayflower Compact would have be chosen...
Fri Dec 12, 2025, 09:20 PM
Friday

... for its significance as an Ur-Document in American constitutional history.

It is considered to be of significance not because of its actual content, but because it provides the first concreate example of the American tendency towards self-government, rule of law, and written, explicitly thought-out and agreed to constitutional governance, rather than an amalgam or hodgepodge or traditional practices and tendencies.

It also provides an almost literal, and yet mythic, example of the enlightenment social contract theory of governance, emerging from a state of nature into civil society:

The Mayflower was blown off course, and did not make landfall where it was supposed to have. If it had, the colonists would have been integrated into an existing legal and social frame work. But having been blown off course, they faced the prospect of, quite literally, entering into a "state of nature." In Hobbs's formulation, the prospect loomed of facing a war of all against all. They did, almost picture perfect, what the advocates of social contract theory speculated about and advocated - they created a governing compact amongst themselves and almost unanimously and voluntarily signed up to its provisions.

The constitution of Rohde Island is more American in its content, but it was the Mayflower compact that (presumably) first exemplified the sprit of constitutional governance itself, that became the spirt of America and culminated in our Constitution as we know it today.

Oh! I forgot to add:

The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims. And especially do not trust Sarah Miller.

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Not very inspiring. gordianot Friday #1
White male sh*t... of course. NotHardly Saturday #41
The Australians like to say: Gaugamela Friday #2
LOL! NotHardly Saturday #42
Pilgrims? RetiredParatrooper Friday #3
They had a framework of a plan. BidenRocks Friday #17
I say go ahead and put your face on one of them asshole we'll just dump them over on your property Walleye Friday #4
lol mzmolly Friday #5
BORING. And unimaginative. littlemissmartypants Friday #6
To be expected from Repukes. paleotn Friday #28
I'm fine with Trump on a coin Bob_in_VA Friday #7
They tried to put Farmer-Rick Saturday #35
Hmmmmm.... electric_blue68 Saturday #45
I for one, want nothing in my life that I can think of to remind me of this 4 year period Buddyzbuddy Friday #8
I wonder how many people will think that e pluribus unum means in God we trust mahina Friday #9
I'll put my trust where I want, not where someone says I should. It's a coin not a holy object. twodogsbarking Friday #11
Check! mahina Friday #13
I'm surprised that from many, one is permitted! mahina Friday #14
Probably most of them, alas Warpy Friday #16
Proper translation PATRICK Saturday #47
Mostly boring, but... reACTIONary Friday #10
So can we make a deal with him if he dies right NOW mountain grammy Friday #12
That's a stupid looking idea for a coin and not even close to historical accurate. cstanleytech Friday #15
Roger Williams bmichaelh Friday #18
The Mayflower Compact would have be chosen... reACTIONary Friday #24
Great clip Farmer-Rick Saturday #37
What, no slaughtering of the natives? eggplant Friday #19
The thought of a Trump coin... karin_sj Friday #20
If it does, I expect the ones I see to be accidentally defaced before being returned to circulation. nt Gore1FL Saturday #38
I'm surprised that the Constitution wasn't replaced with the BidenRocks Friday #21
commemorate, commiserate Donkees Friday #22
Reminds me that I'm living for the day "In God we trust" is removed from our money. Intractable Friday #23
So, you've got a problem with evil? reACTIONary Friday #25
Sorry but fuck the Puritans lonely bird Friday #26
So ... the PILGRIMS came here in 1776? Good to know ... FakeNoose Friday #27
They helped storm the airports! paleotn Friday #30
Hey, Donnie. You've gotta die to get your face on a coin. paleotn Friday #29
So everyone is confident it won't look like this? LiberalLovinLug Friday #31
Replete with gibberish typos ? Appropriate. eppur_se_muova Friday #34
instead of "liberty..." cab67 Saturday #44
Trumps gonna touch that and it will turn to shit. BradBo Friday #32
Oops, I must have misread this: I thought it read "Trump showering." CTyankee Friday #33
Good Lord; your post should have a Warning 🚨 label electric_blue68 Saturday #46
I am so sorry! I try not to think about it... CTyankee Saturday #50
Yeah, really! Eeeeee! 😄 electric_blue68 19 hrs ago #53
Why 1776 to 2026 under puritan macho man and scared little wifey??? Farmer-Rick Saturday #36
Actually PATRICK Saturday #48
White people ber alles Zelda_Orchid Saturday #39
Good grief... GiqueCee Saturday #40
If demand from coin collectors is large enough, they'll find a loophole. cab67 Saturday #43
The pilgram one shown above is pathetic but jgmiller Saturday #49
Semiquincentennial Coin Program Media Kit Mosby Saturday #51
At least coins can be melted down and recycled. eppur_se_muova Saturday #52
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