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Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta
The middle ages encompass one of the most exciting periods in English history. One of the most important historical events of the midieval ages is the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is a document that king John of England signed. The Magna Carta became the basis for English citizens rights. The purpose of this was to make the king govern by the old English laws. -
Petition of rights
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. The Petition of Right was produced by the English Parliament in the run up to the English Civil War. It was passed by Parliament in May 1628, and given the royal assent by Charles I in June of that year. The Petition is most notable for its confirmation of the principles that taxes can be levied only by Parliament -
English bill of rights
This Act of the parliament of England passesd on Sep. 16, 1689. It was restatement in statutory of the declaration of right presented by the convention paliament on March invinting them to become joint sovereigns of England. The English Bill of Rights became a cornerstone to the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Like the Bill of Rights the US Constitution requires trial by jury and forbids excessive cruel punishments. -
Stamp Act
The French and Indian War had been an expensive undertaking for Britain. The national debt had doubled and the cost of military protection for the North American colonies had soared. Not unreasonably the British were inclined to asked the American colonies to contribute money. George Grenville, the Whig Prime Minister, floated the idea of a stamp tax to pay some of these expenses. In London they required many printed material to be produced as stamped paper. -
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, a mob of American colonists gathers at the Customs House in Boston and begins taunting the British soldiers guarding the building. The protesters who called themselves Patriots. Protesting the occupation of their city by British troops who were sent to Boston in 1768 to enforce unpopular taxation measures passed by a British parliament that lacked American representation. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act passed by Parliament on May 10, 1773, would launch the final spark to the revolutionary movement in Boston. The act was not intended to raise revenue in the American colonies, and in fact imposed no new taxes. It was designed to prop up the East India Company which was floundering financially and burdened with eighteen million pounds of unsold tea. On this day in 1773 the British Parliament passes the Tea Act, a bill designed to save the faltering East India Company from bankruptcy. -
1st continental congress
The first Continental met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. Congress was a convention of delegates from 12 British North American colonies. The congress was attended by 56 members appointed by the legislatures os 12 of the 13 colonies. The colonies presented there were united in a determination to show a combined authority to Great Britain. The other colonies voices were defensive of colonial rights. they were elected by the people, by the colonial legislatures, or the committiees. -
2nd continental congress
When the 2nd continental congress met on May 10, 1775 they had no basis in law. General George Washignton took formal camand of the colonial militia on Boston on july 3rd, the 2nd Continental Congress approved a more moderate petition drafted by Pennsylvania's John Dickinson. This concession to the desires of many of the delegates to avoid confrontation with Britain. Over the fallowing years the 2nd continental congress continued to take revolutionary steps. -
Common Sense was published
On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense. Setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries. Common sense advocated independence for the American colonies Britain and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. At the time payne wrote Common Sense most of the colonies consitered themselves britions. -
Declaration of independence signed
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the continental congress on julay 4, 1776. Which announced that th 13 American colonies were at war with great Britain. -
Townshend Duties
On this fateful day in 1770, the British government moves to mollify outraged colonists by repealing most of the clauses of the hated Townshend Act. Initially passed on June 29, 1767, the Townshend Act constituted an attempt by the British government to consolidate fiscal and political power over the American colonies by placing import taxes on many of the British products bought by Americans, including lead, paper, paint, glass and tea.