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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was forced on the King of England. It said took away a lot of his power and required that the free man only be punished by the law of the land. -
Settlement of Jamestown
First successful English Settlement on the mainland of North America. It was named after King James the first of England. It was settled in the colony of Virginia. -
Mayflower Compact Written
The first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. -
Petition of Right
Major English Constitutional document that sets out specific liberties that the king is prohibited from interfering with. This was passed in Parliament in May 1628. -
English Bill of Rights
Passed in parliament in December 1689. This gave many rights to the normal man in England. This had much enfluence over the Bill of Rights we have in America. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in 1754 in Albany, New York. It was an early attempt at forming a union of the colonies "under one government as far as might be necessary for defense and other general important purposes" -
Stamp Act
Direct tax imposed by British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. This required most printed materials to be printed on stamped paper. This was a big problem in the colonies, as it was one of the first taxes place without representation in parliament. -
Boston Massacre
After heavy British military presence in Boston, the level of tenseness heightened which led to British Troops dischargin their muskets after being attacked by a rioting crowd. Five were killed, 11 were injured. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston. After officials returned three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, colonists boarded the ships and threw all of the tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
April 22, 1774 Prime Minister Lord North said if they didnt take action, all would be lost. The consequences of the Intolerable Acts were:
Boston Port Act
Massachusetts Government Act
Administration of Justice Act
Quartering Act
Quebec Act -
First Continental Congress
Convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies. It was called in response of the coercive acts or the "intolerable acts" made by the British Parliament. Their petition was unsuccesful. -
Begining of American Revolution
This was the culmination of the american colonists rejecting the parliaments taxes without representation of the 13 colonies in the British Parliament. This led to the independance of the 13 colonies and formation of the United States of America. -
Second Continental Congress
Convention of Delegates from all thirteen colonies. They succeeded the First Continental Congress. These men managed the colonial war effort of the American Revolutionary War. -
United States Declaration of Independence
This declared that the 13 colonies at war with Great Britain were now independant states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Cenfederation was the first constitution of the United States of America. It outlined how the American Government should work. -
Shay's Rebellion
Armed uprising in Central and Western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion was composed mainly of poor farmers angered by crushing debt and taxes. -
Philadelphia Convention
Took place from May 25, 1787 to September 17, 1787. They met to address problems in Governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation. The main goal was to create a new government rather than fixing the old one. Elected to preside over the convention, was George Washington. The result of the Philadelphia Convention, was the United States constitution. -
Connecticut Compromise
Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, of the Connecticut delegation created a compromise for a bicameral legislature. Consisting of a lower and upper house.
