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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was signed by Medieval England and King John at Runneymede near Winsdor Castle. -
Mayflower Compact
Pilgrims did not want a king or queen; they wanted government. -
Petition of Rights
Petition of Rights was signed by Charles I. The Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law. -
English Bill of Rights
King William iii was involved in the signing. Specific rights that were given to the people were monarch no longer had powers to override, change, or suspend laws. Gave protestants protection from Roman Catholics -
Albany Plan of Union
It was suggested by represenatives of the British North American colonies. Although it was never carried out, but it was the first important plan to conceive of the colonies as a whole. -
French and Indian War
The major players were Tanaghrisson, Marquis Dequesne, George Washington, Edward Braddock, William Ritt, and James Wolfe. Some of the major battles were the Battle of Louisberg, and the Battle of Niagra. The British ultimately won. Damages from the war caused Britain to tax heavily on the colonies. -
King George iii takes Power
King George needed to have a standing army in america which means he needed money to do so. This brought up the question of taxation without representation. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. The Stamp Act, however, was viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without the approval of the colonial legislatures. The colonial leaders were offended because they were forced to give the British money only because the British were raising money for their own cause. -
Boston Massacre
British troops were sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the Townshend Acts. The troops fired into a rioting crowd. Of the people, 5 colonists were killed. -
Boston Tea Party
America thought it was unfair for England to tax them. Out of spite, the Americans dressed up like Indians and dumped all of the tea from England into the harbor. The Sons of Liberty organized this event. The British responded by creating the Intolerable Acts, which closed all ports. -
Intolerable Acts
Liberty Kids: Intolerable Acts Clip These acts came about after the Boston Tea Party. The British were angry about the incident. These acts closed Boston's ports, restricted town meetings, and took away several charted Massachusetts rights. The provisions of these acts were colonial victory and the start of the Revolutionary War. -
First Continental Congress
Representaives from every colony, except Georgia, met in Philadelphia. (Carpenter's Hall) The representatives gathered to discuss their response to the British "Intolerable Acts." They met to discuss their relationship with Britain, and how to assert their rights with the British government. The members agreed to boycott British goods and passed resolutions asserting colonial rights. They also agreed to meet again in May 1775, if the British did not change their policies. -
Lexington and Concord
The result was colonial victory and the srart of the Revolutoionary war. The major generals were Lieutenant Colonel, Frnacis Smith, Captain John Parker, and Colonel James Barret. Paul Revere sounded the alarm and began mobilizinf to intercept the redcoat column -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was called into session as the British stormed Boston in an attempt to arrest the patriots that publicly voiced their grievances against the crown. With the bloody fights at Concord and Lexington fresh in their minds, the delegates of twelve of the thirteen Colonies came together in Philadelphia to draw up a statement of positions in regards to the actions of the British Parliament. -
Declaration of Independence
Founding Fathers RapThe Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress, states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776. -
Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. Under the articles, John Hanson would be the first president. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
This convention was called to discuss the problems with the current government document, The Articles of Confederation. The result of this meeting was the Constitution.
