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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Magna Carta, which means 'The Great Charter' was one of the most important documents' in history. It was issued by King John forcefully in 1215. It basically limited the king's power and made everyone equally subject to the law. It gave people justice and an opportunity for a fair trial. -
Jamestown Settlement
The Jamestown settlement took place in the colony of Virginia. One of the biggest turning points'. It was the first successful permanent English settlement in what would become the United States today. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first agreement for self-government to be created and enforced in America. The pilgrims who were sailing to the New World on the Mayflower attended for Virginia but landed in Massachusetts, then to establish their own authority, they drew up the Mayflower Compact and pilgrim leaders signed it. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights was sent by the English Parliament to King Charles and he was forced to agree to it. The purpose of the petition was to insure individuals of their inalienable rights under the first amendment. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was an act declaring the rights and liberties of the subject and settling the succession of the crown. It established that Englishmen had inalienable(that couldn't be taken away from them) civil and political rights that must be upheld. It gave us freedom of speech. -
Albany Plan of Union
This plan's goal was to bring together the 13 colonies and create a unified government for them. Benjamin Franklin was the one who proposed this plan. Although this plan never happened, this was the first important proposal in uniting colonies under one government. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was almost the start of the American Revolution. The act was a direct tax on the colonists by the British government and it created chaos in America. It was required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. -
Boston Massacre
British troops were in the city of Boston where there was high tension already when a fight broke out there and 5 American colonists were killed. This was a major event in the American Revolutionary War. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party started when Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. The Boston Tea Party took place because the colonists did not want to have to pay taxes on the British tea. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were harsh laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774. They were meant to punish the American colonists for the Boston Tea Party and other protests. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress had delegates from 12 colonies, except Georgia and they met in Philadelphia in response to the British 'Intolerable Acts' a series of measures imposed by the British government on the colonies about new taxing system. They wanted to seem as a whole and get their rights from Britain. -
American Revolution Begins
The American Revolution was fought from 1775 to 1783. It was also known as the American War of Independence. It all started in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The tension was rising between American colonies and the British government, when the first shot was fired in Lexington.The American Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 until 1783. It helped find this nation. -
Second Continental Congress
The second Congress meeting of the 13 colonies took place after the American Revolution had begun. The meeting managed the colonial war effort, and moved progressively towards independence, finding the United States Declaration of Independence. They wanted to break free of Britain's grasp on them. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston are the authors of the Declaration of Independence. It is the most important piece of history this country has had. It gave us a government that benefits the people and gave us individual rights. The main statement in the document was that 'All men are created equal'. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation introduced thirteen different articles that granted powers to the states and to the federal government. John Dickinson was the principle writer. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was a rebellion led by Daniel Shay, who was an ex-soldier in Massachusetts. Began in 1786, it was an uprising of popular support from farmers against a conservative Massachusetts that wanted to increase what were already some of the highest taxes in the colonies. The rebellion is important because it is seen as one of the major factors that led to the writing of the new Constitution. -
Philadelphia Convention
The official purpose of the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia beginning on May 25, 1787 was to amend the Articles of Confederation. It had, by that time, become clear that the Articles of Confederation were not a good enough constitution for the new nation. They wanted to make improvements to the Articles of Confederation. -
Connecticut Compromise
Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth proposed the Connecticut Compromise was an agreement that large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The delegates were trying to figure out how each state would be represented in Congress. The result ended in providing the states with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives.
