British Monarchy to an American Democracy

  • Jun 1, 1215

    The Magna Carta

    The Magna Carta
    In 1215, the English nobles rebelled against King John because this King treated his nobles badly. They forced the John to sign the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was designed to protect the noble’s privileges and authority. This also guaranteed certain rights as a land owner. This document limited the power of the monarch by making sure no one is more powerful than the law. This is important to make sure everyone is treated fairly.
  • The Enlightenment

    The Enlightenment
    Locke (on the left) and Montesquieu (on the right) were considered to be the Englightment thinkers. They believed that God created the universe. These thinkers argued for different ideas which were important. For an example Locke said that people were born free, equal and independent. That they had natural rights. On the other hand Montesquieu developed the idea of dividing the power between branches of the government. This helped to make sure that one branch could not out power the other.
  • English Bill of Rights

    English Bill of Rights
    The Bill of rights was extremely important because it restricted the monarch's power. The bill also guaranteed free elections to the Parliament, the right to a fair trial for anyone, and the elimination of cruel punishments. The bill was important punishments. The bill was important because back in time in England there was no written law. Since there is a written law where it cannot be changed for different people, this helps to maintain the Magna Carta that says one is equal under the law.
  • 13 colonies exist each with its own government in 1733

    13 colonies exist each with its own government in 1733
    The 13 colonies decided to have their own government. Each government had its own governor, who had been elected by the colonist. Each colony had its own legislature, with representatives who were elected by free adult males. This was important to the colonies because they could pick who represented each colony instead of having a British Monarchy.
  • Quartering Act

    Quartering Act
    The Quartering Act was passed in 1765. The Act required colonist to house British soldiers in barrachs provided by colonist. The colonist also had to take care of the soldiers needs. The Quartering Act was signifigant because it made the colonists upset, and inspired more colonist to rebel against Great Britain.
  • Stamp Act

    Stamp Act
    October of 1765, nine of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to the Stamp Act in New York, to prepare a declaration against the new British actions, the declaration was sent to King George iii. This was the first time that the colonies joined together to oppose British rule. In return the British Parliament cancelled the Stamp Act. This was important because the colonies showed that they were not going to let the British treat them unfairly again, also it showed that they are strong.
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre
    On March 5th, 1770, a mob started to throw snowballs, sticks, and stones at British soldiers. About 50 citizens started to attack a British Sentinel who then called for backup. When the backup soldiers arrived, they were attacked too. The soldiers then fired into the mob, killing 3 on the spot.This event was important because of the propaganda. The propaganda suggested that it was a massacre, even though it wasn’t, which pushed citizens to fight against Britain and rebel.
  • Tea Act

    Tea Act
    The tea act was passed in 1773. The Tea Act gave the British East India company theright to ship tea without paying most of the taxes. Therefore East India company tea was cheaper, giving the British company an advantage over colonial merchants. The Tea Act was important because it launched the final spark to the revolutionary movement in Boston.
  • Tea Party

    On December 16th, 1773, Colonists dressed as Indians and boarded ships carrying boxes of tea. The tax on tea, to help raise income for the East India Company, had infuriated the colonists and they had planned an act of defiance. Once on the ship, the colonists dumped the boxes of tea into the harbor. This was known as the Boston Tea Party. Several acts were passed after this as payback to the colonists. This event was important because it showed that the colonists that will get the Brits.
  • The Intolerable Acts

    The Intolerable Acts
    The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws that were passed by parliament that were made as a punishment to the colonies for the Boston Tea Party. They are also known as the coercive acts. Some of these acts were the Massachusetts Bay Regulating act, The Quartering Act, The Quebec Act, The Boston Port Act, and The Impartial Administration of justice Act.This act was passed on May 20th,1774. The Boston Port Act closed the port of Boston until The East India Company had been repaid for the tea.
  • 1st Continental Congress

    1st Continental Congress
    The first continental congress was a meeting/Congress of elected representatives from twelve of the thirteen colonies, as Georgia did not participant, which gathered in Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia on September 5th, 1774. They met during the early period of the American Revolution. The delegates were elected by not only the people, but the committees of correspondence or the colonial legislatures as well. All of the colonies that attended wanted to show a combined authority to Great Britain.
  • The Second Continental Congress

    The Second Continental Congress
    The Second Continental Congress was a meeting/Congress of elected representatives from the thirteen colonies that started to gather sometime during the summer of 1775. Some of the delegates didn’t show up to the meetings. The second continental congress was important because they helped establish America’s first government, the Articles of Confederation.
  • The Declaration of Independence

    The Declaration of Independence
    The Declaration of Independence was a document that was written by Thomas Jefferson. It declared the freedom of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain. These were also some of the reasons that the Thirteen Colonies wanted to break away from Great Britain. This document was important because it helped the Thirteen Colonies break away from Britain and start their own country which would later become America. The document was signed on August 2nd, 1776.