-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is the basis of individual rights and considered as a part of the English Constitution where there is no written constitution. The Magna Carta has been an important influence on governments throughout time. -
Jamestown Settled
Site of the first permanent English settlement. Jamestown was founded for the reason of a quick profit from gold mining for its investors while also creating a permanent foothold in North America. -
Mayflower Compact Signed
It was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, later known as Pilgrims. The compact was important in creating the government needed to keep the community from getting out of hand. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is an English constitutional document, which sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. This allows us to change the decisions made by our government. -
English Bill of Rights
It enumerates certain rights to which subjects and permanent residents of a constitutional monarchy were thought to be given the right to. It is important because it lists the rights of citizens that were not in the Magna Carta. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in 1754 in Albany, New York. It was important because it attempted to form a union of the colonies. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was Parliament's first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. This unified all the colonies in their resistnace to the British Parliament. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident that led to the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British troops. This event eventually lead up to the begining of the Revolutionary War. -
Boston Tea Party
A direct action in Boston aimed toward the British government because they refused to return three ships of taxed tea. This act showed how independent the colonies were becoming from the British. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen North American colonies. It was important in the creation of the Continental Association. -
Intolerable Acts
These were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in to punish and make an example of Massachusetts for resisting parliamentary authority. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies. At this meeting they appointed George Washington commander in cheif of the army. -
American Revolution Begins
The American Revolution helped the Thirteen Colonies gain independance from the Britissh Empire. It helped shape the way America is today. -
Declaration of Independance
The Declaration of Independence is a document that the American colonists wrote and signed to prove to the King of England that all 13 colonies agreed that they should have the right to be free. It was important because it limited the government and kept them from abusing their power. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was drfted in 1777 and was the first constitution of the United States. It was important because it was a model of what a constitution shoud be and helped set up the constitution we have today. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution. It was important because it showed the need for a stronger central government. -
Connecticut Compromise
An agreement between large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United States Constitution. -
Philadelphia Convention
Held to address the problems within the government. Helped change and improve the government.
