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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
A group of barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta to seek protection against heavy-handed and arbitrary acts by the king. -
Jamestown settled
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. -
Mayflower Compact written
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right challenged the idea of the divine right of kings, declaring that even a monarch must obey the law of the land. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights guaranteed the right toa fair trial, as well as freedom from excessive bail and from cruel and unusual punishment. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposed the creation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies that would have the power to raise military and naval forces. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents. -
Boston Massacre
British troops in Boston fired on a jeering crowd killing five colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of men disguised themselves as Native Americans, boarded three tea ships in the Boston Harbor, and dumped the ship's cargo into the sea in protest of Britain's control of the tea trade. -
Intolerable Acts
Parliament passed a set of laws, the Intolerable Acts, to punish the colonists for the troubles of the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
The members of the FCC debated plans for action and sent a Declaration of Rights to King George III protesting Britain's colonial policies. -
American Revolution begins
The "shot heard 'round the world" was what started the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress became the nation's first national government. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was founded on theconcept of "the consent of the governed". -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation established a "firm league of friendship" among the States. -
Shays' Rebellion
Daniel Shays led an armed uprising that forced several State judges to close their courts. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Congress should be composed of two houses. -
Constitutional Convention
Also known as the Philadelphia Convention. -
Philadelphia Convention
Addressed problems governing the United States of America that had been operating under the Articles of Confederation since it had become independent from Britain.
