Which of the following represents early forms of democratic practices by the American colonists?

The Mayflower Compact and similar agreements represent early forms of democratic practices by the American colonists because they established a framework for self-governance and collective decision-making in the New World. The Mayflower Compact, signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, was a pioneering document that outlined a government based on consent of the governed. It emphasized the importance of the community coming together to create rules and regulations for the common good.

This compact embodied the foundational principle of democracy, where authority derives from the consent of the governed. It was a significant leap towards self-rule as it allowed the settlers to establish their own government in a new and largely uncharted territory, highlighting a move away from strict adherence to the directives of crown authority. In contrast, the other options more directly reference governance models that came later or in different contexts, lacking the same grassroots participatory element as the Mayflower Compact.