Common Sense and the Mayflower Compact share some similarities in the ideas they express:
1. Both documents supported the idea that people create their government: Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, argued for independence from British rule and promoted the idea that the power to govern should come from the consent of the governed. The Mayflower Compact, created by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower ship, established self-government based on the consent of the individuals in the Plymouth Colony.
2. Both documents outlined rules for living in a community: While Common Sense focused more on advocating for independence and the principles of democracy, the Mayflower Compact established guidelines for self-governance and cooperation within the Plymouth Colony. These rules helped govern the behavior and interactions of the settlers as they built their community in the New World.
Though Common Sense and the Mayflower Compact had different primary purposes – with Common Sense advocating for independence from British rule and the Mayflower Compact establishing self-government within a new colony – they both reflected the idea of people creating and governing their own communities based on agreed-upon principles and rules.
