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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was the first document that limited the King's power in England, giving more rights the English people. The Magna Carta did not give rights to the average joe, but instead dealt with more of the wealthier citizens. The colonists used this unfairness to later set up the Bill of Rights -
Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown was the first English settlement in the new land. It was located in what is now Virginia. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower is significant because it was the first written document of America. In the document, the pilgrams declared themselves independent from King James. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was an English constitutional document that listed liberties that the King could not infringe on. Similar rights that are listed in this document appear in our Bill of Rights -
English Bill of Rights
This act set limits on the powers of the crown and told the rights of Parliment, one being freedom of speech. -
Albany Plan of Union
This was the start of making all the colonies in America under one unified government. The plan was suggested by Ben Franklin. -
Stamp Act
This act put a direct tax on several printed documents. The tax had to be paid in British currency. This angered the colonies because they had no representation in Parliment so they could not have a say on raised taxes. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers opened fire on a mob of civilians in Boston, killing five people. -
Intolerable Acts
Laws Parliment passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. This took away the colonies' right to self govern. -
First Continental Congress
A meeting where 12 of the 13 colonies met in response to the Intolerable Acts. They considered a few options, one being boycotting British trade. They also decided to hold another meeting, known as the Second Continental Congress -
Beginning of American Revolution
British troops invade America and the fight for indepedence begins -
Second Continental Congress
The Continental Congress met again to discuss the war efforts like raising armies, strategies, and appointing diplomats. They started inching more and more to becoming independent. -
Declaration of Indepedence
The document written by Thomas Jefferson which declared the colonies free from King George and the British government. -
Articles of Confederation
The was the first Constitution-like document for the newly independent country. It gave most power to the states, but all states were under a central government with very limited power. -
Philadelphia Convention
A meeting with the delegates to revise the Articles of Confederation. Many delegates wanted a new document which would lead to the Constituiton. -
Shay's Rebellion
Daniel Shay, an American Revolution veteran, got a group of other farmers and went on an armed insurrection. They petitioned the state senate to issue paper money and to stop foreclosure of mortgages on their property and their own imprisonment for debt as a result of high land taxes -
Connecticut Conpromise
The comprise made between the large and small states that dealt with how each should be represented. The large states wanted porportional representation based on population and the smaller states wanted equal representation. The compromise called for two houses and two ways of representation. -
Boston Tea Party
A protest by the Sons of Liberty, an American patriot group, where group members threw crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. The British government and the East India Company put a tax on tea which the colonists thought infringed on the "no taxation without representation."
