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Jan 15, 1215
Magna Carta Drafted
The Magna Carta is a document that King John of England was forced into signing because it greatly reduced the power he held as the King of England and allowed for the formation of a powerful parliament. The Magna Carta became the basis for English citizen's rights. -
Petition of Rights Drafted
Had equal value as the Magna Carta, The Petition of Right is a major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. Passed on 7 June 1628, the Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. -
Townshend Duties
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts passed beginning in 1767 by the Parliament of Great Britain relating to the British colonies in North America. The acts are named after Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who proposed the program. -
Boston Massacre
On this night, a small group of Boston colonists began throwing snowballs at the British military troops to vent their frustrations. The soldiers then retaliated by opening fire on the colonists, killing 5 of them.The massacre drew attention to the issues between the colonists and the British style of rule, and colonial sentiment was turned against King George III. -
Tea Act
An act to allow a drawback of the duties of customs on the exportation of tea to any of his Majesty's colonies or plantations in America; to increase the deposit on bohea tea to be sold at the India Company's sales; and to impower the commissioners of the treasury to grant licences to the East India Company to export tea duty-free. -
1st Continental Congress
The first Continetal Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774. All of the colonies except Georgia sent out delegates. The purpose of the First Continental Congress was to stop the Untolerable Acts and to take into consideration all the possible ways to do that. -
2nd Continetal Congress
The Second Continental Congress was called into session because the British stormed Boston in an attempt to arrest the patriots that publicly voiced their grievances against the crown.The purpose was to come up with an action to present the grievances of the colonies.This meeting was important in setting the efforts that would bring the birth of our nation. -
Common Sense by Thomas Payne Published
Writer Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet "Common Sense," setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. It challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monrachy. Common sense was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
Signed by 56 people, the Declaration of Independence is the birth certificate of the United States of America. It declared commitment to freedom and guaranteed basic rights. It is the foundation for our other precious documents. -
English Bill of Rights Drafted
On June 8, 1789, Representative James Madison of Virginia introduced to the First Federal Congress a series of proposed amendments to the newly ratified U.S. Constitution. This document reflects the Senate's changes to the House-passed articles of amendments. Twelve articles of amendment were then sent to the states—three through twelve were ratified and became the Bill of Rights in 1791.
