-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was written in 1215. It placed the king under the law and was the foundation for the English rights. The idea that people had rights was integrated into the constitution. -
Mayflower compact
The mayflower compact was the first form of democratic European government on this side of the "pond." It stated that decisions made by the majority of male members would be in place and it also stated that a governor would be elected annually. William Bradford served as governor for the majority of the first years. -
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
This was the first written constitution in America. It described the setup of the government of the colonies and established a rule of law. -
English Bill of Rights
The bill created a separation of powers and made the government of England closer to a democracy. The idea that the government should govern at the consent of the people is an important concept in the constitution. -
Albany Plan of Union
This was a plan to create a unified government that was purposed by Benjamin Franklin. 7 colonies adopted the plan but it wasn't carried out. It was the first effort to Join the colonies under one government. -
French and Indian War
This was a war between the French and English in north america. The English taxed colonists to pay for the war. Tension grew slowly and escalated into the revolutionary war. This shaped many opinions about government, especially taxes and representation, which became evident when the founding fathers wrote the constitution. -
First Continental Congress
delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies gathered to discuss the intolerable acts. This illegal gathering was the beginning of the united states government. it had no legal authority but gathered a group together to petition the king for his consideration -
Second continental Congress
The Second continental congress assumed the full responsibilities of a government. It managed the war effort and formally declared independence from Great Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
This was a statement adopted by the second continental congress that formally declared the United States independent from Great Britain. The continental congress now needed to form a government. -
Articles of confederation
This was the first official form of government in the newly formed united states. It did not last because it did not have "real" central government. Shay's rebellion and other events proved that the United states needed a different constituiton -
Shays Rebellion
This was a series of protests in Massachusetts. The farmers were mad about a lack of financial help that they felt the government should provide. The government lacked power to stop the rebellion and had to go into debt to raise a army to stop them. It demonstrated the need for a revision of the articles of confederation. -
Virginia Plan
This was a plan to make the legislative house of the US government have representatives proportional to the population of the state. The House of Representatives is based off of the Virginia Plan. -
New Jersey Plan
The new Jersey plan was that the number of representatives would be equal for every state. The senate is based off the New Jersey Plan -
3/5 comprimise
When counting populations, 3 in 5 slaves were counted. This gave the south more voice, however it is kind of ironic that they were counted at all considering they were considered property and were hurt by more representation in the south. This gave the south a majority of the voice for the early years of the united states.