<P> The Mayflower was originally bound for the Colony of Virginia , financed by the Company of Merchant Adventurers of London . Storms forced them to anchor at the hook of Cape Cod in what is now Massachusetts ; it was unwise to continue with provisions running short . This inspired some of the Strangers to proclaim that , since the settlement would not be made in the agreed - upon Virginia territory , they `` would use their own liberty ; for none had power to command them . '' To prevent this , the Pilgrims chose to establish a government . The Mayflower Compact was based simultaneously upon a majoritarian model ( taking into account that women and children could not vote ) and the settlers ' allegiance to the king . It was in essence a social contract in which the settlers consented to follow the compact 's rules and regulations for the sake of order and survival . The Pilgrims had lived for some years in Leiden , a city in the Dutch Republic . `` Just as a spiritual covenant had marked the beginning of their congregation in Leiden , a civil covenant would provide the basis for a secular government in America . '' </P>
what did the pilgrims agree to when they signed the mayflower compact
to follow the compact 's rules and regulations for the sake of order and survival