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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was the first document forced onto the King of England by his own subjects, the barons, to try and limit his powers and protect their rights. The Magna Carta led to the rule of constitutional law in the English speaking world. It was also used as a model for many colonies as they began to develop their own legal systems. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was a settlement in the colony of Virgina, and the first permanent settlement in America. It served as the capital of the colony for eighty-three years. The settlement of Jamestown was the beginning of the colonies, and it was the beginning of the nation we are now. -
Mayflower Compact Written
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony, written by "saints" fleeing from religious persecution by King James in Great Britain. Fourty-one of the ships one hundred and one passengers signed the document. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is a very important document that sets out specific liberties for the common man that the king is prohibited from interfering with. Some include non-Parliamentary tazation and imprisonment without cause. It is important because not only did American government adopt some of these rules, but without them we could not consider ourselves to be a democratic government. -
English Bill of RIghts
This document presents limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights of Parliament. It also rules for freedom of speech and reestablishes the liberty of Protestants to have arms for their defense within the rule of law. This event is important because it's one of the main laws still in effect today in the United Kingdom. -
Albany Plan of Union
This was a proposal to create a unified government for the 13 colonies and was suggested by Benjamin Franklin. Mor than 20 representatives of serveral colonies gathered to plan the early attempt to form a union. It's important because this was the first attempt from the colonies to creat a union "under one government." -
Stamp Act
This act was given by the British Parliament to cover the pay for troops stationed in North American after the British victory in the Seven Years' War. The tax covered legal documents, magazines, newspapers, and other articles written on paper. The law was that everything must be printed on stamped paper and paid for with British currency, not colonial money. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident in which British Army soldiers killed five men and injured six others. The soldiers fired without orders, and were withdrawn to Castle Island where eights soldiers, one officer, and a few civilians were arrested. Most were acquitted, and the guilty were given reduced sentences. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston in response to the tax policy the British government put on tea. After Boston officials refused to send back three shiploads of tea, a group of colonists boarded the ships and threw it all into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
These were a series of laws, or punishments, passed by British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party that were directed towards Massachusetts. These acts stripped them of self-government and historic rights, which cause backlash from the thirteen colonies. These acts were a jump start to the American Revolution. -
First Continental Congress
This was a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies; Georgia was not present. The meeting was held in Philadelphia in response to the Intolerable Acts that punished Boston for the Boston Tea Party. -
Second Continental Congress
The delegates from the first continental congress sensed they would have to hold another meeting, and they were correct. All the colonies, minus Rhode Island managed the colonial war effort and moved towards independence. The Declaration of Independence was soon adopted. -
American Revolution Begins
The American Revolution was a political upheaval when the thirteen colonies banned together to break free from the British Empire and try to become the United States of America. George Washington became the American commander in the war. -
Declaration of Independence
This document announced that the thirteen colonies, who were at this point in a war with Great Britain, considered themselves independent states. This marks a turning point in history because it was the start of the United States of America. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was an argreement between the 13 founding states that established the United States and served as its first constitution. It's important because it was the first set of rules for current and future opperations for the U.S. government. -
Philadelphia Convention
The convention took place from May 25th to September 17th 1787 in Pennsylvania to address problems in governing the United States of America. We had been operating under the Articles of Confederation, and the intention of the meeting was to fix the Articles. However, something else happened. This event resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution. -
Connecticut Compromise
Also known as the Great Compromise, this was an agreement between large and small states about legislative structure. It also had to do with the representation each state would have under the U.S. Constitution. -
Shay's Rebellion
This was an armed uprising in Massachusetts named after one of the rebel leaders and Veteran, Daniel Shays. Protesters shut down county courts and began to form a militia. They attacked, killing four and wounding twenty. This rebellion is said to have affected the debates about the new government at that time. -
Constitution Convention
The Constitution Convention was also known as the Philadelphia Convention and took place from May 25th until September 17th in Pennsylvania to address the problems in governing the United States. The importance of this convention is the result, which was the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
