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Sep 9, 1215
Magna Carta
This charter forced King John of England to limit his power. It was made to protect the rights of his subjects. The king couldn't just throw a citizen in jail because he wanted to. This is possibly the origin of, "You are innocent until proven guilty" -
Jamestown Settled
This was the first successful English settlement in North America. It was named after King James I of England and was founded in the colony of Virginia. -
Mayflower Compact written
This was a written agreement by the settlers ariving at New Plymouth. All 41 men of the Mayflower ship signed this compact. It was written to establish laws for the new land because the previous settlers did not survive without organized law and order. -
Petition of Right
A commitee in the house of commons denied the crown's power to imprison without cause. Taxes are also created by Parliament. In times of peace the army (martial law) can not have law enforcement. The petition of Rights emphasized these laws. -
English Bill of Rights
John Locke was a major contributor to the English Bill of Rights, passed in a Parliamentary Act of 1689. The Bill of Rights declared that King James II abused his power as king, tried to change the customs of the country, and tried to destroy the protestant religion. The Bill of Rights declares that the king has to obey the laws and the laws are made by parliament. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin drafted this plan. He got representatives from the 6 Iroquois Nations and delegates from most of the Northern Colonies to form a united group. The group was formed because of the French and Indiana War. This was the route of Independence for the colonies. -
Stamp Act
This was a direct tax made by British Parliament on the colonies of British America. They had to use stamped paper produced in London. The stamp tax had to be paid in British currency. The purpose of this tax was to pay for troops stationed in North America after the British victory in the Seven Year's War.(French and Indiana War) -
Boston Massacre
Heavy British military presence in Boston caused tension between the soldiers and civilians. The troops discharged their guns after being attacked by the crowd. Five civilians were killed and 11 were injured. -
Boston Tea Party
Parliament decided to tax the colonists on tea because it proved they still had a right to tax them. 200 men, some dressed as Indians, aboarded three ships and threw the tea overboard. -
First Continental Congress
Congress met in Philadelphia to protest the Intolerable Acts. Representatives from 12 colonies attended. Georgia did not attend. The leaders were Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry. Colinies were beginning to train their citizens for war. -
Intolerable Acts
These acts were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable acts included the Boston Port Act, Administration of Justice Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Quartering Act, and the Quebec Act. These were passed to bring the colonies back to the control of the king. -
Second Continental Congress
This meeting started after the Battle of Lexington and Concord. They established the continental army and George Washington was commander in Chief. -
American Revolution Begins
After the Battle of Bunker Hill, King George III declared the colonies in a state of rebellion. Even though Britain was victorious in this battle, they lost over 1,000 soldiers. -
Declaration of Independence
Thies document was adopted by the Continental Congress, which anounced the 13 American colonies were now independent states. It was Primarily written by Thomas Jefferson. It declared our freedom from Great Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
It was adopted by the second Continental Congress in 1777 and enacted in 1781. This was the first constitution of the United States. It was formed to have a strong friendship among the 13 states. -
Shay's Rebellion
Farmers, led by Daniel Shay, had a series of attacks on Western Massachusetts' Courthouses. The farmers were losing their farms because they couldn't pay their debts. This was a weakness in the Articles of Confederation. The states needed a stronger national government. -
Philadelphia/Constitution Convention
This was from May to September of 1787. 55 delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss a new constitution that would have a stronger National government. George Washington was elected president of the convention because he was one of the most respected men of this time period. The U.S. Constitution was signed at this convention on September 17, 1787. -
connecticut Compromise
This compromise established two houses of Congress: the House of representatives, based on a state's share of the U.S. population and the Senate, which has two representatives from each state. The compromise was made to satisfy the New Jersey Plan, who wanted equal representation among the states, and the Virginia Plan, who wanted representation based on the proportion of the state's population.
