Major Events in Early American Government

Magna Carta

Jun 15, 1215

The Magna Carta was an attempt to decrease the power of King John of England and protect the rights of the people. During the American Revolution, the Magna Carta inspired colonists to take the same action. Some of these rights are embedded in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Jamestown settled

May 14, 1607

King James I granted the Virginia Company to establish a settlement in North America. It was the first permanent English settlement that was located in the colony of Virginia.

Mayflower Compact Written

Nov 11, 1620

This was the very first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. It was made so none of the passengers of the Mayflower decided to leave the group and so they would agree to the rules and regulations given by the King for sruvival's sake.

Petition of Right

Jun 7, 1628

It was a document that stated the liberties that the king was not allowed to infringe. It is seen as one of England's most famous constitutional documents. It is seen as a predecessor to the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th amendendments of the Constitution.

English Bill of Rights *

Dec 16, 1689

It was a restatement of the Declaration of Right. It set limits on the power of the crown and set out the rights of the Parliament.

Albany Plan of Union

Jul 10, 1754

It was a plan to place British American colonies under a centralized government. It served as a model for future attempts of a union and attempted to establish a division between the executive and legislative branches.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

This was a tax on all of the printed paper that the colonists used. The colonists didn't like the tax because Britain was deliberately raising money by the taxes. This event too helped lead to the start of the American Revolution.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

This is when British soldiers stationed Boston to enforce Parliamentary legislation, killed five civilian men and harmed 6 others. This event forshadowed the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

It was a protest some of the colonist were part of against the tax policy of the British government. Colonists boarded the ships and ruined the tea by throwing it into the Boston Harbor. It was a key event of the beginning of the American Revolution.

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

It was formed in response to the Boston Tea Party and the Intolerable Acts, which they were trying to stop. It included members from 12 of the current 13 colonies and their goal was to try boycott British goods and prepare for the next congress.

Intolerable Acts

Sep 24, 1774

They were a set of laws that stripped Massachusettes of important rights. This angered all of the 13 colonies. These acts were the key component of the start of the American Revolution. It helped lead the United States to independence.

American Revolution Begins

Apr 19, 1775

The thirteen colonies fought together to break the British empire. The colonies fought to get freedom and to have their own government.

Second Continental Congress

May 10, 1775

It held members from all of the colonies. It helped move towards independence and adopted the Declaration of Independence. They also had the Articles of Confederation ratified.

Declaration of Independence

Jul 4, 1776

This was the declaration by the 13 colonies that they were independent from Britain. They were now the United States of America. John Adams pushed for the declaration to be made and Thomas Jefferson wrote it.

Articles of Confederation

Mar 1, 1781

The Articles of Confederation were used as the first constitution of the United States. They established a national legislature and the Continental Congress, but most authority was with the legislatures.

Shay's Rebellion*

Aug 29, 1786

It was named after Daniel Shays, a fighter in the Revolutionary War. Shay's rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts.

Philadelphia Convention (aka Constitution Convention)

May 25, 1787

The goal of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but ended up with forming a new government. The result was the creation of the United States Constituion. George Washington presided over the Convention.

Connecticut Compromise

Jul 5, 1787

This compromise was made at the Constitutional Convention. It established the two houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Congress.