Chapter 2

Magna Carta

Jun 10, 1215

The Magna Carta was a series of written promises between the king and his subjects that he would govern England and deal with its people according to customs of feudal law. It was an attempt by the barons to stop a king from abusing his power.

English Bill of Rights

Dec 16, 1689

This limited the power of the English sovereign and was a written act of Parliament. It asserted that Englishmen had certain inalienable civil and political rights.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

The Boston Massacre was the killing of 5 colonists by British regulars. One of the soldiers had been hit by a snowball. This enraged all of the soldiers making them fire into the crowd when they were ordered not to.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

A group of Massachusetts Patriots were protesting the monopoly on American tea importation. In a midnight raid, three ships were raided. They threw 342 chests of tea into the harbor.

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

The First Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. It was a convention of delegates from twelve colonies,

Declaration of Independence

Jul 4, 1776

It told that the thirteen colonies reguarded themselves as independent states and no longer a part of the British Empire. The Declaration was a formal explaination of why congress had voted on July 2 to become independent from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

Mar 1, 1781

A loose confederation of the sovereign states and a weak central government. This left most of the power with the state governments.

Shay's Rebellion

Aug 1, 1786

Armed farmers in W Massachusetts went against the state government. The farmers had a lot of debt because of the economic depression that followed the American Revolution. They petitioned the state senate to issue paper money as well as halt foreclosure of mortgages and imprisonment for debt.