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Jan 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The document stated the rights of the people and that the king was NOT above the law. This made it not an absolute monarchy any more. -
Mayflower Compact
This is what started the colonies into begining a nation. This was the first governing document. -
Petition of Rights
Charles 1 signed the Petition of Rights, which limited the kings power. It stated that there should not be any taxation without consent of Pariliment, no imprisonment without cause, no quartering soldiers on subjects, and no war like law in peicetime. -
Navigation Act
It limited the colonies from trading from countries other than Britain. -
English Bill of Rights
It influenced inalienable rights given to the people, so basically gave people more people more freedom and those of authority, like a king, more limited power. -
Proclamation of 1763
This was to aviod warfare with the American Indians because conflict with them was very expensive. Also, it was to concentrate the colonial settlements on the coastal area for east interaction with the British Mercantile system. -
Sugar Act
An impoased 3 cent tax on foreign sugar and increased taxes on many items, all without consent of the colonists. This provoked the colonists into a rebellious rage. -
Stamp Act
The money from taxes collected were to pay for the cost of defending and enforcing the American frontier, which was located near the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists didn't like this at all and protested to the king. -
Boston Tea Party
Americans disguised themselves as native americans and dumped 200 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor to show their disgust towards England's attempt to monopolize the tea market. They wanted Britain to stop taxing Americans for tea and other items. -
Coercive Act
It basically was a law that punished those rebellions of the Boston Tea Party incident. It was a harsh set of acts that inflicted all colonists. -
First Continental Congress
12 of the 13 colonies sent delagates to create a group of people to compose a statement of Colonial rights, identify British violations of those rights, and then convince Britain to restore those rights to the people. -
First Shots Fired at Lexington and Concord
As the "Shot heard around the World", it was the first armed forced engagement of the American Revolutionary War. Basically, It was the spark which ignited the birth of the American Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
A group of delagates from thirteen colonies that influenced the ways of the people intp independence, and led the colonies into war. -
Declaration of Independence
A written document that was signed and voted upon on July 2nd, and two days later took into effect on July 4th of 1776. It declared the independence from Britain's rule, and also gave people their given rights to live freely and decide their own future with their actions.