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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
ID: A document written to the King in order to limit his powers. This document included fundemental rights such as trial by jury, process by law, and protects life, liberty, and property. The people ignored this document for 400 years.
SIG: Used to protect the absolute monarchy, it is important because it explains the effect of law by jury. It also gives the people more rights and shows the King he doesn't have all the power. -
May Flower Compact
ID: This document was the first governing. The document included all the new laws for the general good.
SIG: The colonists wanted to seek freedom because the government wasn't giving them exactly what they wanted. -
Petition of Rights
ID: Civil rights and liberites that the King is infridging. The petition states that the taxes can be levied by the Parlament only. This was written as a reaction against the rule of King Charles.
SIG: This was suppose to show who has power. When it was written the Parlament wanted to "force" the King to sign it as show of authority. The King signed it but claimed he was not forced to. -
Navigation Acts
ID: A series of laws that restrict trade with foreign countries. The trade must only be between England colonies. The main purpose was to seal off English and Scottish markets. The government tried to make all trade to be through England first.
SIG: The English did this to help "colonize the land". Plus, because all the items had to be inspected, they raised the taxes, the cost of the merchandise, and the shipping time. -
English Bill of Rights
ID: A restatement of the Decleration of Rights passed by the Paraliment. This document lays down the laws and limits on powers of sovereign. It reassures the set out rights and freedom to speech.
SIG: The Parlaiment wanted to defend the rules and laws. They want to restate the natural laws and make sure they are still set. -
Proclamation of 1763
ID: At the end of the French and Indian War, the document was to prevent colonists from going west. This made the colonists really mad because they wanted all the benifits and products of the west.
SIG: The Great Britin wanted to organize the North American Empire. They wanted to make peace and prevent the issues between colonists and Native Americans. -
Stamp Act
ID: A required tax was created for every paper printed by colonists. Although the tax was small, the people didn't appreciate it. Things from legal documents, licenses, and newspapers were taxed.
SIG: The money raised by the government was used to protect America. The law had good intentions but their people didn't quite appreciate the simple act of being charged extra for printed possibly necessary material. -
Boston Tea Party
ID: As the tea was being controlled, taxes kept adding and adding up. When the officials refused to send back over taxes ship loads of tea the colonists were filled with rage. They climbed on the boat and poured all the tea into the water.
SIG: This action showed that the colonists had enough! They are tired of being charged more and more money for their items. The dumped tea showed the government that enough is enough and they don't want to pay anymore for taxes. -
Coercive Acts
ID: Encouraged by George the third, cauton has been rising in the Parliament. No colonists wanted to follow the advice and guidence of the Parliament.The acts included the Boston Port Act, Quartering Act, Administration of Justice Act, and the Massachusetts Act, all in 1744.
SIG: The acts were pursued to regain the trust of the colonists. Also, they very much wanted to fix what happened in the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
ID: A convection of 12 of the 13 delegates from the North American colonies. It was called in response of the Coercive Acts.
SIG: The delegates wanted to stop the punishments given to Boston for the tea party incident.They wanted to regain control of the colonists. -
First Shots Fired at Lexington and Concord
ID: The British sent to seize the weapons but they didn't find anything but colonists. William Dawes and Paul Revere warned all the people about the upcoming war.
SIG: The British wanted to show that they had all the power by fighting again all the colonists. -
Second Contiental Congress
ID: A convection of the delegates from the 13 colonies. The government wanted to manage the war effort.
SIG: Because the colonists do not really trust the government at this point, they wanted to regain independance for their colonies. -
Decleration of Independance
ID: Voted by the 13 colonies, the representatives signed a document stating all the laws and natural righst of the colonists.
SIG: The delegates wanted to break again from the king and Britian.
