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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was drafted by Archbishop Stephen Langton, and King John of England was forced to sign it. This document greatly reduced the powers entitled to the King of England and became a basis for English rights, later leading to American rights. It also allowed for the creation of parliament which influenced the building of the legislative branch, Congress, in the U.S. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was the first English settlement in America and named for the king. This is significant because it is the beginning of the formation of the U.S. -
Mayflower Compact Written
The Mayflower Compact was written as a solution to the problem that the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower landed in New England instead of Northern Virginia. They had no government setup or legal obligations in New England so they wrote the Compact to set a temprary government up until England could set an official one up. This document gave the Pilgrims the right to self-govern themselves and later lead to the idea of self-government for the U.S. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Rights is a Parliamentary delcaration that was signed by Charles I. It granted liberties and rights that could not be dismissed and that one could only be imprisoned in accordance with the laws of the land and one could not be unjustly imprisoned. These concepts are seen in the U.S.Constitution. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was passed in a Parliamentary Act of 1689 and ensured the rights of the people of England so that the monarchs could not abuse or take away the rights. This had a major influence on the U.S. Bill of Rights and is where the idea originated. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was an attempt to unify the colonies of America in an alliance and join them in one, overseeing governing body that Parliament would form. The plan, however, was rejected. The federal government of the U.S. was set up similar to this Plan. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was put into effect by Parliament and placed a tax on the printed papers used by the colonists. This disgruntled the colonists and lead to their idea that only the colonists own representatives should maintain the right to tax them, not Parliament overseas. This was one of the first offenses toward the colonists that lead to the American Revolution. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre developed from the massacre that occured in Boston between the British troops and the colonists. The British troops were sent to enforce the Townsend Acts and were met with tormenting crowds of colonists. The troops eventually fired on a rioting colonist group in anger, killing 5 men. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party resulted from Parliaments passing of the Tea Act which allowed the East India Trading Company to sell their tea cheaper than the merchants smuggling from Holland. Colonists wanted the tax on tea removed and dockworkers refused to unload tea at the harbors. Dressed as Mohawk Indians, boarded the ships and disposed of 45 tons of tea into the harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a series of acts implimented on Massachuesetts by Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party. These Acts closed the Boston port, reregulated the Massachuesetts government, changed the appointment of Quebec government officials, forced colonist housing of soldiers, and granted British officials legal protection from wrongs committed during their duties. These angered the colonists and lead to the First Continental Congress and the separation from England. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting between delegates of 12 of the 13 colonies. This meeting was to address the grievances toward King George III and to figure out how to resolve them. It was decided that they would reconviene if they were not resolved. -
American Revolution Begins
The American Revolution began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The British troops were ordered to capture colonist radicals there and with the help of Paul Revere's warning the militia of colonists confronted them and held them off, marching the British back to Boston. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress conviened in response to the British storming of Boston and the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This Congress was when the Declaration of Independence was written and later approved and signed. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written in the Second Continental Congress and stated the injustices of King George III against the colonists that lead to their decision of independence. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and cut the 13 colonies' ties with Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first adopted consitution for the United States of America and was later ratified in 1781. It comprised of a preamble and 13 articles which set out to define the powers of the Continental Congress and the states. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was an armed march by farmers under Daniel Shay's leadership to the debtor courts of Massachuesetts. They were angered by the harsh taxation of the rich merchants, inconsistent currency, and the lack of enforcement on laws that did not bennifit the merchants. It was eventually broken up with the need of a government that addressed all people's needs mad aware. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, met to revise the Articles of Confederation, which they ended up discarding. They focused on the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan, trying to find a solution. They ended up with the Conneticut Compromise. The Constitution was also written and sent to the states for ratification. -
Constitution Convention
The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, met to revise the Articles of Confederation, which they ended up discarding. They focused on the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan, trying to find a solution. They ended up with the Conneticut Compromise. The Constitution was also written and sent to the states for ratification. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise was a proposed compromise by Roger Sherman between he Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. It created the upper and lower houses. The upper house, the Senate, would have 2 representatives form each state like the New Jersey Plan. The lower house, the House of Representatives, would have a number of representatives based on the population of the states like the Virignia Plan. This compromise formed the U.S. Congress.
