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Jun 12, 1215
Magna Carta Created
The firt document imposed upon a King of England by a group of his subjects in an attempt to limit his powers and protect their rights. It was an important part of history that led to rule of constitutional law in England. -
Jamestwon settled
The first permanent English settlement in America. Over 80% of the colonists died in the first several years -
Mayflower Compact Written
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing colony of the plymouth colony. The compact was signed aboard the mayflower ship. -
Petition of Right
A major constitutional document that sets out specefic liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. It contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, improsonment without cause, and the use of martial law. -
English Bill of Rights
An act of the Parliament that lays down limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliamment. As well as the requiremnt for regular elections to Parliament and the right to petition the monarch without fear of retrubution. -
Albany Plan of Union
A proposal to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies, suggested by Benjamin Franklin. The Plan represented one of the multiple early attempts to form a union of the colonies under one government. -
Stamp Act
An act of the Parliament that imposed adirect tax on the colonies of America and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for troops stationed in North America. -
American Revolution Begins
The 13 colonies decided to break free from the British Empire and form a independent nation, the Unites States of America. The revolution was the result of a series of social. political, and intellectual transformations in American society, government, and ways of thinking. -
Boston Massacre
An incident in Boston in which British Army soldiers killed five male civilians and injured six others. A mob formed around a British sentry, who then fired into the crowd along with eight other soldiers. -
Boston Tea Party
A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston. The demonstrators dressed as American Indians and destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company. They did this in defiance of the Tea Act of May 10th 1773. -
Intolerable Acts
The American Patriots' name for a series of punitive laws by the British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. They were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their participation in the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from twelve colonies that met in Philadelphia early in the American Revolution. It was called in response to the passage of the Coercive Acts by the British Parliament. -
Second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the thirteen colonies that started meeting in the philadelphia soon after warfare in the Revolutionary war had begun. The congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independece, and eventually adopted the declaration of independance. -
Declaration of Independence
The statement adopted by the Continental Congress which announced that the 13 colonies regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empiere. The formed a new nation, The United States of America. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was a document signed amongst the 13 original colonies that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states. It served as the first constitution -
Shay's Rebellion
An armed uprising that took place in Massachusetts, it was fueled by perceived economic terrorism and growing disaffection with the State and Federal governments. The rebellion was defeated, but it helped the government reconsider the extent of its own powers. -
Philadelphia Convention
A convention that was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. George Washington was elected to preside over the Convention, and the result was the creation of the United States Constitution, which made the Convention one of the most significant events in the history of the US. -
Constitution Convention
A convention to address problems in governing the US. The convention was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, the result was the US constitution. -
Connecticut Compromise
The agreement that defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the US Constitution.
