Events Leading to American Documents

By MaritzaQ
  • Jun 10, 1215

    Magna Carta

    The Magna Carta was drafted by Archbishop Stephen Laugton. The Magna Carta was originally called the Articles of the Barons. It had a huge influence on the developing legal system of England. It was renewed for the Oath of Fealty to King John. Americans also used it in to make the Declaration of Independence. The Magna Carta was like the bill of rights in medieval England. The King is not above the law though.

  • Petiton of Rights

    The people of Britain were mad up with King Charles I and his governmental strategies. The Petition of Right was signed by Charles I in June 1628 but he didn't want to follow it. It was a document that had specific points like freedom of the people. The king was not allowed to go against. He wasnt able to send people to jail or punish them. Its making him have less power then he should.

  • English Bill of Rights

    The English Bill of Rights is considered one of the most important documents that make up England. The Bill is not one single document but rather several different documents. The English Bill of Rights of close to the Declaration of Independence. They made this because William III and Mary II abused their powers. They revolute when after the Americans did. Some of the things the were demanding were the same as the Delcaration of Independce.

  • Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act was an act that the British did to the Americans. The British needed money to pay the debts they had because of the French Indian War. The Stamp Act was the first act where the colonies were taxed, and this made the Americans mad of course. The Stamp Act said that all documents, papers, newpapers, etc had to have some sort of a stamp on it to be legal. If they weren't stamp then they will be fine or could have gotten in trouble because of it.

  • Townshend Duties

    Townshend Act relates the American Colonies with the british. The act was named after the Chancellor of Exchequer Charles Townshend who drafted the proposal. The purpose of the Townshend Acts was to raise money among the colonies and use them to pay the salaries of judges and the government to enable them to have colonial rule. They started to tax the colonies for this money they needed. Thats how the American Revolution started. The Americans had no voice in this.

  • Boston Massacre

    In Boston a crowd of people gathered and started to harass the soldiers. The people kept harassing the soldiers with insults and they were throwing snowballs at them. Someone yelled "Fire!" and the soilders started to shoot the crowd. No one ever knew who gave the order. Three people died at the scene and two people died later on. Also, there was six wounded people. The soliders were later went to trail but Captain Preston and six other soldiers were set free.

  • Tea Act

    The American colony was taxed for every load of tea brought into the colonies, especially Boston Harbor. Coffee was not so popular then and the tea tax put it out of the buying range of most colonists. Also,the colonies were tired of being taxed without being ask or taken in consdiration. That's where we got the phase no taxation without repsentation. Although the Americans wanted to rebel the British still passed the Tea Act anyway, even though the protested against it.

  • 1st Continental Congress

    Representatives from each of the colonies gather in Philadelphia. They had a meeting to discuss about the British "Intolerable Acts" and their opinoins about it. They had three objectives which was to have conial rights, British violations, and to plan how Britsh will give them rights. They also agreed to meet again in May 1775. They decided to boycott all Britsh goods to see if they will gain any rights. Instead, the King punished them by block colony acess to the Altanic Ocean.

  • 2nd Continental Congress

    The 2nd Continental Congress gather again because their first attempt for right failed. Memebers of the 2nd Continental Congress met in State House of Philadelphia. During this time the Colonies were camp outside Boston trying to make the British leave. The Continental Congress memebers elected George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. They also inclueded new members, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. This time around the decided to declare their independence.

  • Common Sense - Thomas Payne

    The Common Sense book listed reasons why the Colonies needed to break away from Great Britain. Saying every bad thing the British did to us. He wrote about taxation without representation and that only the colonies gov't can rule over the American Colonies. So England should have no power over them. He also wrote about attacking the British army and saying all the wrong about their gov't, which was a crime back then.

  • Declaration Of Independence signed

    They wanted to make it clear to Britain that they decided to break away from them. They presented them with the Declaration of Independence that was written by Thomas Jefferson. A long list of grievances againt King George III was written. They formally broke from the British on July 4, 1776. Americans and the British went to battle where King George claim that the American turn into rebels and sent thousands of soliders to the Colonies.