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Jun 15, 1215
Magna carta is drafted
King John was forced into signing the charter because it greatly reduced the power he held as the King of England. The Magna Carta became the basis for English citizen's rights. The Magna Carta demonstrated that the power of the king could be limited by a written grant. The person who wrote and drafted the magna carta was Archbishop Stephen Langton. -
Petition of right is drafted
Its a huge constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law. -
stamp act
The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money collected was for the army. -
Townshend duties
Townshend Acts were met with resistance in the colonies, prompting the occupation of Boston by British troops in 1768, which eventually resulted in the Boston Massacre of 1770. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists by British regulars on March 5, 1770. American colonies that had been growing since Royal troops first appeared in Massachusetts in October 1768 to enforce the heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts.The trials ended quietly. One took place 8 month after the incident. Defended by John Adams, Preston was fully acquitted. The second decision resulted in two convictions. The jury assembled for the trial did not have a single Bostonian. -
Tea Act
The American colony was taxed for every load of tea brought into port,especially Boston Harbor.Coffee was not so popular then and the tea tax put it out of the buying range of most colonists. -
1st continental congress
convention of delegates from twelve British North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, The Congress was attended by 56 members appointed by the legislatures of twelve of the Thirteen Colonies, the exception being the Province of Georgia, which was hoping for British assistance with Indian problems on its frontier. -
2nd continental congress
The Second Continental Congress meeting started with the battle of Lexington and Concord fresh in their memories. The New England militia were still encamped outside of Boston trying to drive the British out of Boston. The Second Continental Congress established the militia as the Continental Army to represent the thirteen states. They also elected George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. -
Common sense was published
This pamphlet demanded complete independence from Great Britain and the establish- ment of a strong federal union. It also contained a brilliant attack on the idea of monarchy and inherited privilege. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Also, announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. -
English bill of right is drafted
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public.