Bill of rights 01

Early American Government

  • Magna Carta
    Sep 27, 1215

    Magna Carta

    Great Charter forced upon King John of England by his barons in 1215, established that the power of the monarchy was not absolute and guaranteed trail by jury and due process of law to the nobility.
  • Petition of Right

    Petition of Right

    Document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628, challenged the idea od divine right of kings and declared that even the monarch was subject to the laws of the land.
  • English Bill of Rights

    English Bill of Rights

    Document written by Parliament and agreed on by Willian and Mary of England in 1689, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs, forms the basics for much in American government and politics today.
  • Albany Plan of Union

    Albany Plan of Union

    Plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes, the plan was turned down by the colonies and the Crown.
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre

    Called the Boston Riot by the English, was an incident on March 5, 1770, in which British redcoats killed five civilian men.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party

    Was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company.
  • First Continental Congress

    First Continental Congress

    Was a convertion of delegates, from twelve of the thirteen North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Second Continental Congress

    Second Continental Congress

    Was a convertion of delegates, from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Delclaration of Independence

    Delclaration of Independence

    Was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the Thirteen American Colonies then at war with Great Britain.
  • Articles of Confederation

    Articles of Confederation

    Plan of government adopted by the Continental Congress after the American Revolution, established "a firm leage of friendship' among the States, but allowed few important powers to the central government.
  • Shay's Rebellion

    Shay's Rebellion

    Was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts (mainly Springfield) from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shay's, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
  • Virginia Plan

    Virginia Plan

    Plan presented by delegates from Virginia at the Constitutional Convention, called for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature in which each State's membership whould be determined by it's population or it's financial support for the central government.
  • Philadelphia Convention

    Philadelphia Convention

    The Federal Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America.
  • New Jersey Plan

    New Jersey Plan

    Was a proposal for the structure of the United States Government proposed by Willian Paterson at the Constitutional Convention on June 15, 1787.