-
Jun 10, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was drafted by Archbishop Stephen Langton and the most powerful Barons of England. King John signed this document on June 10, 1215. The Magna Carta was a list of 37 English laws that reduced the power held by the King of England and allowed for the formation of a powerful parliment. -
Jamestown Sett;ed
This occured before the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock and is the site of one of the first permanent English settlements. On May 13, 1607, they chose Jamestown Island to build. At the beginning many were not used to life apart from the city and they did not have very good survival skills. -
Mayflower Compact written
The Mayflower Compact was signed on November 11, 1620 on board the Mayflower. The Mayflower Compact attempted to temporarly establish the government until a more official one could be drawn up in England that would allow them to self governt themselves in New England. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was established in June of 1638 by King Charles the first. In it included four principles: 1. No taxes would be given without Parliment consent 2.No imprionment without a shown cause 3.Soldiers cannot be put into private houses 4.Martial law cannot be used in times of peace. The petition was supposed to be safeguarded but was soon violated by Charles the first who had agreed to it. -
English Bill of Rights
Enacted by the English Parliament and signed by King William the third, it was one of the fundamental documents of English Constitutional law and marks the progression of English society from a nation of subjects under the authority of a monarch to a nation of free citizens. -
Albany Plan of Union
In June 1754, delegates from most of the Northern colinies and representatives from the six Iroquois Nations me in Albany New York where they adopted a plan of union drafted by Ben Fraklin of Penn. Under this plan each colonial legislature would elect delegates to an American continetal assembly presided over by a royal govener. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was Parliments first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. Because Great Britain was faced with a giant Nation debt following the Seven Year War. -
Boston Massacre
A riot between a "patriot" mob and British soldiers, Unruly crowds led to attacks on soldier whcih led soldiers to begin firing into the mob killing 3 people on the spot and wounding 8 others as well. -
Boston Tea Party
Beacause of Britain's opression over America, the "Sons of Liberty" boarded three of Britain's tea ships that had arrived from London and smashed and dumped 342 crates of tea into the harbor water. -
The Intolerable Acts
Parliment responded to the Boston Tea Party by creating four laws which the colonies called the "Intolerable Acts". Some of these new laws included passing the Quebec acts to limit the colonies claim on land and changing the Justice Act so that people charged with violent crimes would have to be tried in England. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia from September 5, 1774 to October 26 1774. All of the colonies except for Georgia selected delegates, elected by the people which were united in a determination to show a combined authority to Great Britain, but ended up not being uniform. -
American Revolution Begins
On April 19, 1775, 700 British troops marched into Lexington to find find 77 armed minutemen waiting for them. A British major ordered the Patriots to desperse which they did, but a moment later a shot was taken by an unknow person and it had begun. -
Second Continental Congress
Members of the Second Continental Congress met at the state house in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. There they established the militia as the Coninental Amy to represent the thirteen states. They also elected George Washington as Commander and Chief of the Continental Army. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written to declare the freedom of America from that of England. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28 1776 and then signed and sent to show the king that we would have our own power over our country. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of the Confederation was the first constitution of the Unite States. It was adopted on Novermber 15, 177 and was ratified by the thirtten states on March 1, 1781. The Articles left most of the power with the state government. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's rebellion took place in Massachusetts in 1786. Shay's Rebellion was a post revolutionary clash between New England farmers and merchants that tested the institutions of the new republic and took up arms against their new state government and threatened to plunge some states into a civil war. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise took place in 1787 and was thought up by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman. When the states were dicussing the Virginia and Rhode Island Plans, his idea was to create a two chambered congress that would be made up by both a senate and a house of representatives. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was held on May 25 1787 in the state house in Philadelphia. All state representatives were present except for Rhode Island who declind to come. The members, including George Washington and many who had signed the Delclartion, discussed government and future plans for the states. -
Philadelphia Convention
Delegates from various states met in the Pennsyvania state house in philadelphia where they elected George Washington as the President of the Convention and created rules that would guide their proceedings. Each state in the convention had one vote as they proposed new policies for government and adopted the Constitution.
