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Jan 8, 1215
King John forced to sign Magna Carta
British nobles force King John to sign the Great Charter afer becoming fed up with his unfair regulations and taxes. The Magna Carta ensured that no one would be above the law - even the king. -
The Petition of Rights
When Parliament refused money to Charles I until he signed this petition, it greatly restricted the king's power. The king couldn't punish anyone unless he'd done something unlawful and had a fair trial with a jury who agreed in favor of the king, among other restraints. It was becoming evident that even monarchsweren't above the law and its penalties. -
Official Forming of Chartered Colonies
Rhode Island and Conneticut were founded prior to being granted charters, but were both self-sufficient and independent colonies and showed some of the first signs of democracy. -
The English Bill of Rights
Used to guarantee fair treatment by all future monarchs and rulers after William and Mary of Orange were elected, Parliament wrote another document William and Mary had to sign, the English Bill of Rights. It stated that without the approval of Parliament, there would be no standing armies in peacetime and assured fair trials and prohibited cruel and unusual punishment. These fundamentals are still the basis of how our country is run today. -
Albany Congress Wants Colonies To Unite
Benjamin Franklin came up with the Albany Plan of Union and proposed a yearly meeting with representatives from all of the colonies. They'd control the military forces, regulate trade and collect taxes. This was an early sign of unity between the colonies. -
French & Indian War
The French & Indian War was one of the first instances of the colonies and Great Britain being openly opposed to eachother. -
Sugar Act Is Passed
The Sugar Act, passed in 1764, put a tax on foreign sugar, and increased taxes on coffee, wine, and other things. While only a slight part of the population was directly affected, they were very angry and very candid about it, expressing their deisre to weigh in on how much they were taxed. -
Stamp Act Passes
Law passes that requires tax stamps to be used on certain business matters, newspapers, and other documents. Ultimately, nine colonies sent representatives to a meeting of the Stamp Act Congress where they sent the Declaration of Rights and Grievances to the king of England. This was among the first times the majority of colonies had united to resist the British. -
Townshend Acts
In the summer of 1767, the Townshend Acts were passed placing new taxes on glass, paper, paints, and tea which only further outraged the colonists. Seemingly, the sole purpose of this tax was to increase revenue for the salaries of royal officials. However, the new colonies decided to deal with this in a different way, by using a "non-importation" agreement throughout the colonies and soon British trade had dried out. -
The Boston Massacre
Essentially, The Boston Massacre was a street fight between the British soldiers and an angered mass of patriots. After a fight broke out between a guard and a merchant and a crowd gathered and it quickly escalated to historic proportions. This event was one of the first inklings of the Revolutionary War. -
First Continental Congress
On September 5, 1774, representatives from all colonies except Georgia met to discuss the new rules - the Intolerable Act s- Parliament had recently passed and its effect on the people. They wanted all colonies to refuse all sales and trade from England until they revoked their new regulations, showing union to one another within the revolt. -
Articles of Confederation
In 1777, an agreement was made throughout the 13 founding colonies of the United States called the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. (It was later shortened.) It was the first constitution, drafted by the Continental Congress in mid 1776 and was ratified formally by all in 1781. Although it was replaced with the United States Constitution in 1789, some positive steps had been taken. Much of the groundwork laid out all those years ago is still the core of our government today.
