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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was signed by King John of England. It was written by 13th century barons to protect rights and properties from a king for tyranny. The Magna Carta later inspired colonist who believed they earned the same rights as the English men. Those rights later appeared in the Constitution as Life, Liberty, and Property. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was the first English settlement in North America. It was founded in the colony of Virginia. -
Mayflower Compact Written
It was signed in 1620, by all adult males aboard the Mayflower. It was put into agreement that there were to be just and equal laws. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was a major English constitution like document for the British. It gave liberties to their people from the King. It contains restrictions on non-Parlimentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was a restatement of the Declaration of Right in England. It laid down limits on the power of the crown as well as setting rights for the Parliment. It also gave rules for freedom of speech, requirement for regular elections, and right to petition. -
Albany Plan of Union
This plan was adopted by British representative of the 13 American colonies. It intended to put British American colonies under a central government. The Albany Plan of Union never carried through, although it was the first plan to unite the colonies. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a direct tax being placed on paper goods from the British Parliment. The paper goods included documents, magazines, newspapers, and many other types of printed materials in the colonies. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for British troops stationed in the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a gathering around the British soldiers after much tension between them and the colonist. The British soldiers were stationed in Boston to protect those who were trying to enforce Parliment like legislation. During the crowd of people there were many verbal threats and objects thrown out. Suddenly, without orders eight British soldiers fired into the crowed killing five people. -
Boston Tea Party
The Massachusetts Patriots were in protest of the tax being placed on tea. The taxes were coming from the British and the East India Company. They over threw 342 chests of tea and threw them into the Boston harbor midnight that night. -
First Continental Congress
56 members of the legislatures of the thirteen colonies met in reaction to the Coercive Acts being imposed on them by the British. The Coercive Acts were being placed on the colonies for their resitance on British taxes. They met in Carpenter's Hall Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British Parliment for Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable Acts took their rights of being self governerd, and historic rights. This triggered much outrage in the thirteen colonies and much outbreak eventually lead to the American Revolution in 1775. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress took place after the American Revolution had already begun. They organized many ideas such as creating a continental army. 5 years later the same congress ratified the Articles of Confederation, which would be replaced by the U.S. Constitution. -
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American Revolution Begins and Ends
This was a was fought with Britiain to gain American Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
This was a document that was adopted by the Continental Congress. It announced that the thirteen colonies were now independent states freed from Britain's rule. Thomas Jefferson conposed the original draft of the document, then the congress produced the final version. The Declaration of Pursuit of Happiness. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the U.S. It's ratification did not occur until March 1, 1781. It's contents included allowing most of the power to be held within the states, and a weak central government. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was an armed uprising that took place in central and western Mssachusetts. It was named after Daniel Shays who was one of the rebellion leaders. It included many reasons why it occurd. Of those being economic depression from the war, credit squeeze, and harsh policies from the government in order to resolve debt. -
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Philadelphia Convention
It took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also known as Constitutional Convention, the representatives gathered to address problems governing the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation. Some of the delagates intentions were to create a new government rather than to fix the exsisting one. The result of this conventions was the U.S. Constitution. -
Conneticut Compromise
This compromise is also know as the Great Compromise of 1787. It was accepted at the Constitutional Convention. This plan called for congress to have two houses and still allowing states to be equal. The House of Representatives would use proportional representation, which meant the amount of representatives is based off of population.
