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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Magna Carta was written by a group of 13th-century barons to protect their rights and property against the king. Durning the American Revolution, the Magna Carta served to justify action in liberty’s defense. The colonists believed they were entilted to the same rights that Englishmen had promised to them in the Magna Carta. These rights where used in the laws of their states and later into the Constitution and Bill of Rights. -
Jamestown Settled
They established the Jamestown settlement on lands in Virginia which were close to the main village of local native American Chief Powhatan. The Jamestown Settlement established the first permanent English settlement in the New World, and was the Birthplace of America. -
Mayflower Compact
The Pilgrams agreed to comply with their government’s laws, and in return, they would all protect one another. Making it, kindof like a social contract. It was the foundation of their government. The Mayflower Compact also contained words showing their allegiance to the King. They still considered themselves a part of the English people, even though they had separated from them because of religious reasons. Some believe, the foundation of the United States Constitution, was this document. -
Petition of Right
Was mainly a declaration of the rights and liberties of the people. The petition said:
1. No freeman should be forced to pay any tax, loan, or benevolence, unless in accordance with an act of parliament.
2. No freeman should be imprisoned contrary to the laws of the land.
3. Soldiers and sailors should not be lodged in private persons.
4. Commissions to punish soldiers and sailors by martial law should be abolished. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights is an English forrunner of the Constitution, along with the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right.The English Bill of Rights limited the power of the English sovereign, and was written as an act of Parliament. The Bill of Rights asserted that Englishmen had certain inalienable civil and political rights, although religious liberty was limited for non protestants. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a proposal made at the Albany Congress. It was aimed at forming a strong union of the colonies under one single government and direction. The proposal called for a general government that would be lead by a President General, who was appointed and fully supported by the Crown. It also called for a Grand Council where the members where chosen by representatives coming from the colonial assemblies -
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. Legal documents, licenses, newspapers, and playing cards were taxed. The Stamp Act was viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies and offended the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the killing of five protesting colonists by British regulars.Many tensions in the American colonies had been rising since Royal troops first came into Massachusetts to enforce the heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts. -
Boston Tea Party
Happened when a group of Massachusetts Patriots, protesting the monopoly on American tea importation, seized 342 chests of tea in a raid on three tea ships and threw them into the harbor. This action was part of a wave of resistance throughout the colonies. A small group of Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded the ships and dumped the tea. To Parliament, the Boston Tea Party confirmed Massachusetts's role as the core of resistance to legitimate British rule. -
First Contiental Congress
Representatives from each colony, except Georgia, met in Philadelphia, to discuss their response to the British "Intolerable Acts". The congress had three main objectives:
1. To compose a statement of colonial rights.
2. To identify British parliaments violation of those rights.
3. To provide a plan that would convince Britain to restore those rights. -
Intolerable Acts
After the French and Indian War the British Government decided to get larger benefits from the colonies. The colonies were pressed with higher taxes without any representation in Britain. This eventually lead to the Boston Tea Party. In retaliation the British passed several acts aimed at bringing the colonies back into submission of the King. -
American Revolution
A revolt against British taxes and trade regulations, and was American Revolution was the first modern revolution. About 25,700 americans died. The Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Acts were used to raise money rather than control trade and grew to the resistance in the colonies. First Continental Congress took the first steps toward independence from Britain. Before independence was gained they had to fight a long war. -
Second Continental Congress
Some of the delegates included: John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin .The Second Continental Congress established the Militia as the Continental Army to represent the thirteen states. They also choose George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of American history. The representatives of the United States of America and the people of the colonies had seen conditions that required a change in government structure and policy. The end states that “these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown.” -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt at a constitution for the United States of America. It mostly directed it's attention to fight and winning the War for Independence. However it proved inadequate to resolve the issues that faced the United States, but marked a crucial step toward nationhood. -
Shay's Rebellion
The crisis was most intense in the rural and relatively newly settled areas of central and western Massachusetts. Farmers in this area suffered from high debt . As a result sheriffs seized many farms and some farmers who couldn't pay their debts were put in prison. The farmers in western Massachusetts organized their resistance, lead by Daniel Shays. The governor organized a military force to confront the rebels. Shay quickly fell apart. -
Connecticut Compromise
Presented by Roger Sherman at the Constitutional Convention. It blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plans as a model for representation in the two houses of Congress. It stated that states would be represented equally in the Senate, & proportionately in the House of Representatives. And that all proposed legislation for the purpose of raising money would have to come from the House of Representatives. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Articles of Confederation left the Congress weak, which resulted in a government that could not enforce a unified set of laws. So congress called a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation into a stronger document. The Philadelphia Convention began with a radical decision to throw out the Articles of Confederation & start a new framework for fixing the power of the United States’ federal government. It allowed the delegates to shift the power & begin making the U.S. Constitution. -
Constitution Convention
Delegates met to give Congressn more power. Included mostly male landowners. Worked to create a new government consisting of three branches. One to make laws, the second to carry out the laws, and the third to settle legal arguments.
