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Period: Feb 2, 1200 to
Government History
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Feb 2, 1215
Magna Carta
An English charter that was issued in 1215. It was later reissued later on in the 13th century. This was the first document that had been forced on an English King. It was first passed in 1225. -
Petition of Right
A constitutional document that states specific liberties that the king is not allowed to break. It was passed on June 7, 1628 and has restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprissonment without cause, and the use of marital law. -
English Bill of Rights
Passed by Parliament on December 16, 1689 and was a restatement of the Declaration of Right. It stated limits on the powers of sovereign. It set rights and rules of freedom of speech for Parliament. It states the requirement for regular elections to join Parliment and the right to petition monarchs without fear of retribution. It reestablished the liberty for the Protestants to have guns for their defence within the law. -
Albany Plan of Union
Proposed by Benjamin Franklin as an early attempt to form the colonies. "Under one government as far as might be necessary for defence and other general important purposes". This was during the French and Indian War. -
Boston Massacre
The incident on March 5, 1770 where British soldiers, which had been stationed in Boston, killed five civilians. One soldier was surrounded by a mob and verbally harrased and abused. Some of the troops backed him up and were also subjected to the abuse and harrassment. The other soldiers opened fire on the civilians, without orders, and killed three instantly, two other died later among the may that were wounded. -
Boston Tea Party
A direct action by Boston colonist against the British Government and the East India Company which controlled the tea imports to the colonies on December 16, 1773. When British officials refused to send three ships full of taxed tea back, angry colonists went onto the ships and destroyed the tea by dumping it into the harbor. -
First Continental Congress
The first meeting was on September 5, 1774 in Philadelphia by delegates from 12 British North American colonies. This was early in the American Revolution and was called as a response to the British Parliament passing the Coercive Acts, or Intolerable Acts. The Coercive Acts, or Intolerable Acts were passed as a punishment for the Boston Tea Party. -
Second Continental Congress
This was a convention held by delegates from the 13 colonies. They began meeting on May 10 in Philadelphia shortly after the American Revolutionary War began. The Second Continental Congress succeeded the First Continental Congress which had held meetings between September 5, 1774 and October 26, 1774. Those meetings were also held in Philadelphia. -
Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress adopted this statement on July 4, 1776. It stated that the 13 original American colonies were regarding themselves as independent states rather than a part of the British Empire. Thomas Jefferson wrote up the draft of the document which the Continental Congress later edited for the final version. -
Articles of Confederation
This was an agreement between the 13 original states that established, legally, the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states. This also served as the first constitution. -
Shays' Rebellion
This was an armed uprising that took place in central and western Massachusetts between 1786 and 1787. It was named after an American Revolutionary War vet. called Daniel Shays. It started over financial difficulties in August of 1786 and by the time January rolled around in 1787 more than one thousand of Shays' followers had been arrested. On February 3, 1787 a private militia defeated an attack by the Shaysite rebels. Five rebels were killed during the fight. -
The Virginia Plan
A proposal by delegates of Virginia, sponsored by Randolph Plan and was named after him, for a bicameral legislative branch. James Madison drafted the plan while waiting for a quorum to meet at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. -
Philadelphia Convention
Was also known as the Constitutional Convention. It started on May 14, 1787 and ended on September 17, 1787 with the signing of the Constitution. It was held in Philadelphia to discuss the problems in governing the United States. The Convention had intended to revise the Articles of Confederation originally. -
New Jersey Plan
A proposal made by William Paterson for the U.S. Government structure. It was a response to the Virginia Plan which called for two houses of Congress in which both had to be appointed for according to population. It gave power raise money and to tax foreign goods and to regulate trade. This plan was rejected as a basis for a new constitution.
