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Jun 15, 1215
Drafting of the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was an inspirational document that led to the making of many other documents. It initially reduced the power of the King of England and allowed for the formation of a powerful parliament. The Magna Carta also gave the Church freedom from royal interference, freedom from taxes, and the right of due process. -
Petition of Right Drafted
Similar to the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right limited the king's power. It demanded that the king no longer imprison or punish any person but by the lawful judgement of his peers. It also insisted that the king not impose rule by the military in time of peace or require homeowners to bring in troops without consent. All in all, the Petition declared that even a monarch must obey law of the land. -
English Bill of Rights Drafted
During the Glorious Revolution, Parliament created a list of provisions that the king and queen were obligated to obey. The English Bill of Rights prohibited a standing army during peacetime, unless Parliament approved, and required that all Parliament elections be free. It also included guarantees to the people such as the right to a fair trial, freedom from excessive bail and from cruel/ unusual punishment. -
Stamp Act
Passed on March 22, 1765, the Stamp Act taxed all American colonists and demanded them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper that they used. The money collected was to be used to help pay the cpsts of defending/ protecting the American frontier, but colonists saw it as too severe. Nine colonies prepared a strong protest and the Stamp Act repealed. -
Townshend Duties
Charles Townshend saw how desperate the colonies needed tax relief, but he also saw how vital debt reduction was. He thought that the best solution would come from imposing taxes in the colonies to collect revenue on items such as imports of glass, lead paints, paper and tea. The colonies protested and Boston merchants boycotted English goods, leading to the repeal of the Townshend Duties. -
Boston Massacre
As the uprising of protests continued, boycotting was increasing as well. On March 5, 1770, British troops in Boston fired at a crowd, killing five colonists. The presence of British troops in the city was very unwelcome, proven by the attack of one British personnel by fifty citizens. A British official called in for reinforcements, but the only thing that apparently could stop the chaos was by gunshot. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was designed to prop up the East India Company, as it was struggling financially. The Townshend Acts were still in effect, and American leaders found it as an opportunity to buy popular support for the taxes akready in force. -
First Continental Congress
In the spring of 1774, Parliament passed another set of laws to punish colonists for the troubles in Boston. The Intolerable Acts called upon many meetings between the colonies where Delegates discussed the worsening situation and debated for plans of action. -
Second Continental Congress
Each of the Thirteen colonies sent representatives to the Congress and chose John Hancock as President and George Washington as commander in chief. This Second Continental Congress became the nation's first national government that rested on no constitutional base. The Second Continental Congress served as government for five years from formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence, until the Articles of Confederation went into effect. -
Common Sense Was Published
The Common Sense was published in 1776 and challenged the authority of the British government and royal monarchy. The way Paine (the author) expressed his voice throughout the document was the first piece of work of its kind. It asked Americans to want and ask for independence from the Great Britain. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
Congress named a committee of five to prepare a proclamation of independence. On July 2, the delegates agreed to Richard H. Lee's resolution after spirited debate. Two days later, they adopted the Declaration of Independence and proclaimed a new nation.