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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Was a convertion of delegates, from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
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
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
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
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
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
Was a proposal for the structure of the United States Government proposed by Willian Paterson at the Constitutional Convention on June 15, 1787.
