The Mayflower Compact is considered an

important step in the development of American

democracy because it

(1) established the principle of separation of

church and state

(2) provided a basis for self-government in the

Plymouth Colony

(3) defined relations with local Native American

Indians

(4) outlawed slavery in the Massachusetts Bay

Colony

The Mayflower Compact is considered an important step in the development of American democracy because it 2. provided a basis for self-government in the Plymouth Colony. The Compact was decided upon prior to the colonists' landing at Plymouth, but it was an attempt to ensure the timely and organized handling of affairs because all understood it would require cooperation to exist in this new land.