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Sep 18, 1215
Magna Carta
equired King John of England to proclaim certain liberties, and accept that his will was not arbitrary, for example by explicitly accepting that no "freeman" (in the sense of non-serf) could be punished except through the law of the land, a right which is still in existence today. -
Jamestown settled
for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded in the Colony of Virginia -
Mayflower Compact
first governing document of Plymouth Colony. seeking the freedom to practice Christianity according to their own determination and not the will of the English Church. -
Petition of Right
major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. Notable for its confirmation of the principles that taxes can be levied only by Parliament, that martial law may not be imposed in time of peace, and that prisoners must be able to challenge the legitimacy of their detentions through the writ of habeas corpus -
English Bill of Rights
ays down limits on the powers of sovereign and sets out the rights of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliament, the requirement to regular elections to Parliament and the right to petition the monarch without fear of retribution. It reestablished the liberty of Protestants to have arms for their defence within the rule of law, and condemned James II of England for "causing several good subjects being Protestants to be disarmed at the same time when papists were both armed and emp -
Albany Plan of Union
proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in 1754 in Albany, New York. It was an early attempt at forming a union of the colonies "under one government as far as might be necessary for defense and other general important purposes"during the French and Indian War -
Stamp Act
direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America. required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp -
Boston Massacre
British redcoats killed five civilian men. a mob formed around a British sentry, who was subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. fired into the crowd, apparently without orders, instantly killing three people and wounding others -
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American Revolution
Britian vs. Colonies. Britian sent troops when colonies began to secede from britian. Fighting began -
Boston Tea Party
direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor -
First Continental Congress
convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen North American colonies that met at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. called in response to the passage of the Coercive Acts. attended by 56 members. met briefly to consider options, including an economic boycott of British trade; publishing a list of rights and grievances; and petitioning King George III for redress of those grievances. -
Intolerable Acts
4 acts for punishment for boston tea party. 1765 Stamp Act. Quebec Act. -
Second Continental Congress
managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. By raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties, the Congress acted as the de facto national government of what became the United States. -
Declaration of Independence
announced Colonies became independent from british rule. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles gave legitimacy to the Continental Congress to direct the American Revolutionary War, conduct diplomacy with Europe and deal with territorial issues and Indian claims. -
Magna Carta (US)
petition of farming rights -
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Shay's Rebellion
an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts. over financial difficulties for farmers. -
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Philadelphia Convention
address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from Great Britain.Elected George Washington. -
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Constitution Convention
See Philadelphia Convention -
Connecticut Convention
defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature as proposed by James Madison, along with proportional representation in the lower house, but required the upper house to be weighted equally between the states.
