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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta had a huge influence on the development of the legal system of England. It's believed to be one of the most important documents in American history because if also effected other governments. It was signed by King John on June 15, 1215. It's also commonly known as the Magna Charter or the Great Charter. -
Jamestown Settlement
Chartered in 1606 by King James of England. A crew of 3 ships carrying more than 100 people arrived at the Virginia location in April of 1607. The founders started work on the colony and they were governed by a 7 man council. Jamestown, Virginia is America's first successful English settlement. -
Mayflower Compact written
The pilgrims signed the mayflower compact. It was an agreement between English settlers and the Indian tribes that already lived on the land. -
Petition of Right
Petition of Right is a statement of civil liberties sent by the English Parliament to Charles I. The Petition of Right, initiated by Sir Edward Coke, was based upon four principles: no taxes may be levied without consent of Parliament; no subject may be imprisoned without cause shown; no soldiers may be quartered upon the citizenry; martial law may not be used in time of peace. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was written by the English Parliament and singed into law by King William III. -
Albany Plan of Union
This plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements, and on newspapers. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident that led to the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British troops. It played a significant role in the outcome of the Revolutionary War. After the Massacre, people realized the British were not there to help, but to destroy their liberty. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, after officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into the Boston Harbor. It was a key event in the growth of the American Revolution. -
Intolerable Acts
The British parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party by passing four laws. The colonies called these laws the intolerable acts. It was significant because it united the colonies against Britain. -
First Continental Congres
The First Continental Congress was formed of representatives from each of the colonies, except Georgia, to discuss their response to the British “Intolerable Acts.” The members agreed to boycott British goods and passed resolutions asserting colonial rights. -
American Revolution begins
The American Revolution is the most significant part of the birth of American Independence. -
Second Continental Congress
The members of the Second Continental Congress met at the state house in Philadelphia. They also elected George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army -
Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continenetal Congress on July 4th, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American Colonies then at war with Great Britatin were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire -
Articles of Confederation
After Indepence from Great Britain was declared the United Colonies needed to form a new Confederation to govern and conduct the war agains England. The Continental Congress passed the Articles of Confederation. It was the first contitution of the United States. It was important because it made the union of the thirteen colonies legal and identified them as sovereign states. -
Shay's Rebellion
A series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by revolutionary war Caption Daniel Shays to black foreclosure proceedings. -
Constitutional Convention
Intended only to revise the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of many of its proponents, chief among them James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, was to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. -
Connecticut Compromise
An agreement between large and small states reached during the constitutional convention of 1787 that in part difined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the united states constitutional -
Philadelphia Convention
Adressed problems in governing the United States which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation.
