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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Document signed by King John of England decreasing the power the King of England can have. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was settled - the first recorded European colony in the Americas. -
Mayflower Compact
This document was signed by 41 British colonists in an attempt to establish a government among the pilgrims. -
Petition of Right
A major English document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing on. -
English Bill of Rights
Act passed by British Parliament that dealt with constitutional matters and laid out certain basic civil rights. -
Albany Plan of Union
Plan suggested by Ben Franklin to unify the thirteen colonies. -
Stamp Act
Act passed by British Parliament that imposed a tax on the colonies, requiring many printed documents, tea, and other British products have a stamp on them and to be taxed. -
Boston Massacre
Incident in which British soldiers killed 5 citizens and injured 6 in Boston, the citizens were throwing rocks at the soldiers. -
Boston Tea Party
Political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, MA at which the demonstrators, some dressed as Native Americans, dumped a shipment of British tea into the Boston Harbor. This was a protest against the British imposed Tea Act. -
Intolerable Acts
The name given to a series of punitive laws passed by the British parliament after the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
Meeting of delegates from twelve of the original thirteen colonies, first met early in the American Revolution. -
American Revolution begins
The British garrison in Massachusetts was ordered to disarm the rebels in the area, leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, thus begining the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
Meeting of representitives from the first thirteen colonies, met just after combat in the American Revolution began. -
Declaration of Independence
This document declared the thirteen colonies, then at war with Britain, to be 13 independent states, not a part of the British empire. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States. This document described the U.S. as sovereign and gave congress much of the power it holds today. -
Shay's Rebellion
An armed uprising led by Daniel Shay protesting unfair economic conditions, which was eventually defeated by a privately raised militia. -
Philidelphia Convention
Convention to address problems in governing the United States which had been under the Articles of Confederation. -
Connecticut Compromise
The agreement that large and small states agreed upon that there would be both population-decided and equal representation among states (senate and house of representitives).
