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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Cartaan
An Angevin Charter originally issued in Latin in 1215. It was important in the colonization of American Colonies as Englands legal system was used as a model to help in the development in the colonies own legal systems. -
Petition of Right
a major english constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infering. The petition contains restrictions on non- parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use martial law. -
English Bill of Rights
An act of the parliament of England passed on 16 December, 1689. It was a restatement in statutory form of the declaration of Right presented be the convention parliament. -
Albany Plan of Union
A rivalry between England and France started in the early 1750's Delegates from the northen colonies and representatives from the 6 Iraquois nations adopted a "plan of union', Under the plan each colonial legislature would elect delegates to an American Continental assembly presided over by a royal power. -
Boston Massacre
Is was a street fight that occured on March 5, 1770 between a patriot mob throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks and a squad of british soldiers. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. British soldier then fired into the mob killing 3 on the spot and wounding 8 others. -
Boston Tea Party
Governor Thomas Hutchinson allowed 3 ships carrying tes to enter the Boston Harbor in 1773. Before the tax could be collected, Bostanians took action. On a cold December night, radical towns people stormed the shipd and tossed 342 chests of tea into the water. Disguised as Native Americans, the offenders could not be indentified. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress brought together representatives from each of the colonies, except Georgia, to discuss their response to the British "Intolerable Acts." The Congress had 3 objectives: to compose a statement of colonial rights, to identify British parliaments violation of those rights, and to provide a plan that would convince Britian to restore those rights. -
Second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the 12 colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. -
Articles of Confederation
Was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the U.S as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. The drafting by the continental Congress began in mid- 1776 and an approved version was sent to the states for ratification in late 1777. -
Declaration of Independence
A statement adopted by Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Which announced that the 13 U.S. colonies regarded themselves as independent states and no longer a part of the British Empire. -
Shays Rebellion
Was an armed uprising that took place in central and western Massachusetts in1786 and 1787. The rebellion was named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War and one of the Rebel leaders. -
Virginia Plan
A proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch. It was drafted by James Madison while he waited for a quorum to assemble at the constitutional convention of 1787. -
Philadelphia Convention
Took place on May 25 to September 17, 1787 in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. It addressed problems in governing the U.S. that had been operating under the Articla of Confederation. -
New Jersey Plan
Was a proposal of the structure of the U.S. government presented by William Paterson at the constitutional convention on June 15, 1787. The plan was created in response to the Virginia Plan.