-
Sep 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England. The document was forced on the King of England to try to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges. -
Jamestown settled
King James I granted a charter to a group of London entrepreneurs, the Virginia Company, to establish a satellite English settlement in the Chesapeake region of North America. It was the first settlement of the Virginia Colony, and was a capital until 1699. They were instructed to settle Virginia, find gold, and seek a water route to the Orient -
Mayflower Compact written
The first wrtten framework of governent. The compact was drafted to prevent dissent amongst Purtitans and non-separist Pilgrims who had landed at Plymouth a few days earlier. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right contains restrictions on non-parlimentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, inprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law. It was a petition to obtain possesion, or restitution of property. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was a restatement in statutory form of the Declartation of Right. It lays down limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights of Parliament. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to to unify the government between all thirteen colonies. It was a plan to put British North American colonies under a more centralized government. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act made everyone pay tax on all paper documents in the colonies.The act was made to raise money for the colonies to help support the costs of maintaining british troops. -
Boston Massacre
British army soldiers killed five civilians injured six. It happened because of all the tension people had built up due to the enforcemnt of heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest against the tax policy of the British government and East India that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. One night a group of colonist got on the ship and threw 342 boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress wanted to show a combined authority to Great Britian.Two groups of people from all over the 13 Colonies who came together to discuss liberty. The First Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies. They came together to act together in response to the Intolerable Acts. They met in secret because they didn't want Great Britain to know that they were united. -
Second Continental Congress
Met a year after the First Continental Congress after the Revolutionary War started. They named George Washington as the commander-in-cheif of the Continental Army. From discussions came the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Marines Corps. -
American Revolution begins
General Thomas Gage sent troops on a surprised attack ot Concord. He hoped to seize a storehouse of rebel guns and ammunition and arrest some rebel leaders. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Coninental Congress. King George III interfered with the colonies' rights to self-government and for a fair judicial systtem. The document asserted freedom and independence of the 13 colonies from Great Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It was agreed to by the Continental Congress and in effect after ratification by Maryland. The Articles of Confederation served as a bridge between the initial government by the continental congree of the revolutionary period and federal government. -
Shay's Rebellion
Armed rebellion in Massachusetts. The rebellion was named after Daniel Shay, a veteran from the Revolutionary War and rebel leader. It started because of economic depression after the war, credit squeeze, harsh government policies, and many other factors. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention was held to address problems in governing the USA, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation. The meeting was helf to address the problems of the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of many of it proponents, was to create a new government instead of fixing the old one. -
Connecticut Compromise
A compromise adopted by the Constitutional Convention. It provided the states with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives.It was made to end conflict between big states and small states. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts was the name by Patriots for a series of punitive laws passed by british parliament.The acts stripped Massachusetts of self-government and historic rights. This triggered and outrage and resistance in the thirteen colonies.
