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Period: Feb 2, 1200 to
Chapter Two Timeline
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Feb 2, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is also known as The Great Charter. A group of determined barons forced King John to sign and they prompted the Magna Carta to seek protection against heavy handed acts by the King. -
Petition of Right
The Petition challenged the idea of the dicine right of kings, declaring that even a monarch must obey the law of the land. The Petition limited the king's power in several ways. -
English Bill of Rights
This document was to prevent abuse of power by William and Mary and all future monarchs. Parliament drew a list of previsions which they had to agree to. The English Bill of Rights prohibited a standing army in peacetime, execpt with the consent of Parliament, and required that all Parliamentary elections be free. -
Albany Plan of Union
In this Plan, Benjamin Franklin proposed the creation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies. That body would have the power to raise military and naval forces, make war and peace with the Native Americans, regulate trade with them, tax, and collect customs duties. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists by British regulars. It was the culmination of tensions in the American colonies that had been growing since Royal troops first appeared in Massachusetts in October 1768 to enforce the heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts. -
Boston Tea Party
A group was formed by political leader Samuel Adams in Boston in 1772. This group disguised as Native Americans borded three ships in Boston Harbor to dump out the ships cargo into the sea to protest British control of tea trade. -
First Continental Congress
Parliament passed these set of laws to punish the colonists for the troubles in Boston and elsewhere. They denounced in American as the Intolerable Acts. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress served as the first government of the U.S. for five years. It fought a war, raised armies and navies, borrowed funds, bought supplies, created a money system, made treaties with foreign powers, and did other things that any government would have had to do in those circumstances. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is composed of four parts: a Preamble, a Declaration of Natural Rights, a List of Grievances, and a Resolution of Independence. Congress named a committee of five people to prepare a proclamation of Independence, most of the work was done by Jefferson. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation established "a firm league of friendship" among the States. The Articles allowed only one vote for each State, regardless of size. -
Shay's Rebellion
A series of events played out in Western Massachusetts became known as Shay's Rebellion.Violence broke out, states taxed one anothers goods and even banned trade. Daniel Shay's led an armed uprising that forced serveral state judges to close their courts. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention is also known as the Constitutional Convention. -
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan retained the unicameral Congress of the Confederation, with each of the States equally represented. In addition to the powers Congress already had, the plan would add closely limited powers to tax and regulate trade between the States. -
Virginia Plan
The Virginia Plan called for a new government with the three separate branches that we have today. It would create a new Constitution by thoroughly revising the Articles.
