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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
A document accepted by King John of England which contains a series of laws establishing the rights of the english barons thereby limiting the authority of the king. It is the basis of individual rights and considered as a part of the English Consitution. -
Jamestown settled
The Jamestown Settlement was funded by the Virginia Company of London. They hoped to expand English trade and make a large profit. Three ships landed and 104 men and boys started the settlement. -
Mayflower Compact written
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was a social contract because the settlers agreed to followe the compact's rules for the sake of survival. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is a major English consitutional document which sets out the liberties of the subject that the king cannot infringe on. -
English Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights laid out certain basic rights for all Englishmen. The Bill of Rights greatly influenced the United States Bill of Rights. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union at the Albany Congress; the plan called for the 13 colonies to unite and fight in the French and Indian war. It did not pass because the states did not want to give up their independence. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax on every piece of printed paper the colonist used and the money gained was to be used to pay for protecting and defending the frontier. This was Parliments first real attempt to assert authority in the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was caused by tension between the civilians and the British troops in Boston. It was an incident that led to the death of five colonists and helped to spark the rebellion. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party took place in the Boston Harbor when men boarded a British ship and threw the tea into the harbor because they were outraged by the tea tax. This action ignited the series of events which led up to the revolution. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were five laws passed by the British government aimed at controlling the colonies. The issue of these acts outraged the colonists and trigged their resistance from England. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the 13 colonies; it was called in response to the Intolerable Acts. They decided to petition the King and called for another Congress if their petition did not work. -
American Revolution begins
The American Revolution was when the 13 colonies joined together to separte themselves from the control of the British government. The revolution promted the colonies to join together, write a constitution and form a government, -
Second Continental Congresss
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the 13 colonies. The Congress managed the war, adopted the Declaration of Independence, formed treaties and picked diplomats, making the Congress the unofficial government of the colonies. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence announced that the 13 colonies were independent and no longer part of Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote the document which explains why the colonies have decided to split from Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States and specified the how the national government was to operate. The Articles were replaced by the Constitution. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts who were angered by debts and taxes. The rebellion called notice to the Articles of Confederation because there was no instituional response. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention was based in Philadelphia and delegates from the 13 colonies attended. The result of the Convention was the US Constitution. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise was a agreement between the large and small states about how the legislative branch would be set up. The Compromise stated that the branch would be made up of two parts: Congress which would give equal representation to all states and The House of Representatives which would have representatives proportional to the population of each state. -
Consitution Convention
The Constitutional Convention addressed the problems with The United States government. The result of the Convention was the US Constitution.
