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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document that King John of England was forced to sign. This document's purpose was to make the king govern by the old english laws. Archbishop Stephen Langton was who drafted the document along with the most powerful Barons of England. This event is significant because it the founding document of the American liberties. -
Jamestown settled
Jamestown was the first successful settlement in North America, settled on May 14, 1607. The founding of this colony started the cultural encounters that made the world it is today. The government, language, and customs of this colocy are a part of the United States' heritage today. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was first signed on November 11, 1620. The forty one colonists who signed this signed the foundation for the government in the United States today. This is drafted to keep peace in the new land between the Pilgrims. This compact led to the Civil Body Politic to keep "just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices." -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is considered with second most important constitutional document behind the Magna Carta. This document declared the rights and liberties to the people of the new country. This was approved by Charles I at the beginning of his rule. This demanded that no free man should pay any tax, no freeman should be imprisoned counter to the laws of the land, soldiers should not live in private residences, and the power to punish soldiers and saliors by martial law will be prohibited. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights or just Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 16, 1689. The document made the limits of the powers of the leaders and set out the right of the Parliment. That includes the need for regular parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech. It also includes the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and gives the right to bear arms for a person's own defence within the rule of law. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a arrangementto place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. Seven of the colonies adopted the plan, even though it was unsucessful. These colonies included Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connectcut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. This was the first proposal to bring the colonies together under one government. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law originated by the British to put a tax on the shipment of items and documents. Some of these items included plaiyng cards, patent medicines, contracts, and newspapers. The items would have to be physically stamped by government officials after being paid for. This was one of the reaons for the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre when when five innocent civilians were shot and killed British troops in Boston, Massachusets. This event came to happen when one of the soldiars hit a young boy who ran away and returned with a large mob of people. The mob threw things at the soldiers and someone yelled "fire" which confused the soldiers. That led them to begin firing into the crowd. Crispus Attucks was one of the first people killed in the massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest act against the British for the tex on the tea. They were upset because they were being taxed for their tea, but had no one to represent them in the British government. Samuel Adams led a large group of people named the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Native Americans, and dumped boxes of tea into the harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws passed by the British government after the Boston Tea Party. These laws took away Massachusetts ability to self govern and started an outrage in the thirteen colonies. Some of these laws included the closing of the Boston Harbor, and the allowance of British troops to be housed wherever they wanted. The outrage to these laws would soon lead to the Revolutionary War and Continental Congress -
First Continential Congress
The First Continential Congress was the meeting of delegates, elected by the people, from twelve of the thirteen colonies at the time. This meeting was help in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. This Congress was brought together to consider the options to be free of British rule and what the response would be against the Intolerable Acts, which were the punishments for the Boston Tea Party. -
American Revolution begins
The Revolutionary War in American started on April 19, 1775. the events that led up to this war included the: Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, The First continental Congress, and The Second continental Congress. The outrage of the citizens of the colonies along with the the meetings of the delegates brought up the courage for the new colony to go against the British monarch rule. -
Second Continentel Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting between most of the original delegates from the First Continental Congress, but now all thirteen colonies were all represented. This Second Congress lasted from May 10, 1775 to March 1, 1781. What this group of men were able to accomplish was a colonial war effort along with the approval of the Declaration of Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was created from June-July 1776 and was ratified on July 4, 1776. This document was important becaue it said that the Americans were not under the control of the British anymore. At the bottom of the Declaration is the signiture of the 56 delegates of the Continental Congress, including the author, Thomas Jefferson. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution for the United States. The Articles were written by the Continental Congress. This constitution provided stronger federal government with a chief executive, courts, and taxing power. Congress was given the power to make alliances and treaties, along with maintain money and armed forces. What was special about this was this was the foundation for the laws of the United States. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was a gathering in central and western Massachuetts and started their fight on August 29, 1789. Daniel Shay was in charge of his "army" which consisted of poor farmers who's anger was fueled by their debt and taxes. The plan of the revolt was to stop the courts from taking property from farmers. They tried to do this by forcing the closure of the courts in Massachusetts. This was successful but by January 1787 over 1000 members of the revolt had been killed. -
Philadelphia Convention
This convention took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The reason for this meeting was to try and solve the problems the United States of America was facing. The leaders of the meeting, James Madison and Alexander Halitom, had the goal of creating a new government rather than trying to improve the old one. the result of this was the United States constitution. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise was the solution to the problem of how larger and smaller states would be represented in the Senate. The compromise suggested by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, gave the states a dual system of representation. The House of Representatives number of representatives would go along with population. All of the states would have the same number of representatives in the Senate.
