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Period: Feb 2, 1200 to
AR
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Feb 4, 1215
Magna Carta
It sets out an agreement between them on the subject of England’s taxation, feudal system and justice. The document allowed for the first time for the powers of the king to be limited by a written document. -
Petition of Right
It stated four principles: no taxes would be given without Parliament consent; no imprisonment without a shown cause; soldiers cannot be put in private houses; and martial law cannot be used in times of peace. The Petitions were supposed to be a safeguard, but they were soon violated by Charles I, the very person that agreed to them. He continued collecting taxes without Parliament consent. -
English Bill of Rights
After the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Founding Fathers turned to the composition of the states’ and then the federal Constitution. Although a Bill of Rights to protect the citizens was not initially deemed important, the Constitution’s supporters realized it was crucial to achieving ratification. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was rejected by King George II and by all of the individual colonial governments that considered its adoption. On June 19, Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union to form a permanent federation of the colonies as a means to reform colonial-imperial relations, and to more effectively address shared colonial interests. -
Boston Massacre
Shots fired by the British soilders on the streets of Boston sparked the American Revolution. The British officer in charge, Capt. Thomas Preston, was arrested for manslaughter, along with eight of his men; all were later acquitted. -
Boston Tea Party
Rebellion against the tea tax was not a result of a raise in the tax, the tax was actually lowered - the protests were because there were no colonists in the English parliament which led to the cry of "No taxation without representation!" in the American colonies. The new import tax on tea of 3 pence was considerably less than the previous one in which 12 pence (1 shilling) per pound on tea sent via Britain. The American colonists would therefore get their tea cheaper than the people of Britain -
First Continental Congress
Each of the thirteen colonies sent delegates except Georgia. The Congress originally leaned toward endorsing a plan presented by Pennsylvania's Joseph Galloway. The Galloway Plan urged the creation of an American parliament to work with the British Parliament in governing the colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
By the time Congress had convened, hostilities between Great Britain and the American Colonies had already begun at the Battles of Concord and Lexington in Massachusetts. Congress passed the Olive Branch Petition on July 5, 1775 and sent it to the King of England on July 8. British leaders rejected the petition, a final attempt at reconciliation with Great Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation represent the first constitional agreement made between the 13 American states. Three main points for congress to debate in the document was the appointment of taxes according to the population, the granting of one vote per state, and the right of the federal government to dispose of public lands in the west. -
Declaration on Independence
The Declaration of Independence is considered to be the founding document of the United States of America. Americans celebrate Independence on July 4 which was the day that the Declaration was adopted. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays ' Rebellion was an armed uprising that took place in Massachusetts. lthough it never seriously threatened the stability of the United States, Shays’ Rebellion greatly alarmed politicians throughout the nation. -
Philadelphia Convention
The first two months of the Convention saw fierce debate over the 15 points of the "Virginia Plan" which had been proposed by Madison as an upgrade to the Articles of Confederation. Yet, the "Committee of the Whole" couldn't agree on anything. So, on July 24 of that year, the Committee of Detail was enacted to handle the drafting process. -
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan was presented in the form of eleven resolutions drafted by William Paterson was collectively proposed by delegates from the small states consisting of New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and Delaware. The New Jersey Plan detailed a legislature of only one house and featured equal representation in which each state had the same number of representatives. The goal was for smaller states to have the same level of power in the legislature as the large states. The New Jersey Plan, -
VIrginia Plan
The Virginia Plan was created by James Madison but presented to the Constitutional Convention by Edmund Randolph, the governor of Virginia. The purpose of the plan was to protect the large states' interests in the new government, which would be stronger federally than under the Articles of Confederation.
