Monarchy to Democracy

Monarchy to Democracy

Period: Jan 1, 1200 to Dec 31, 1900

By: Nia, Zoe, and Lauren

Magna Carta

Jun 19, 1215

The Magna Carta is considered the founding document of English liberties and hence American liberties. The influence of Magna Carta can be seen in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The Church was to be free from royal interference, especially in the election of bishops. No taxes except the regular feudal dues were to be levied, except by the consent of the Great Council, or Parliament, The right to due process which led to Trial by Jury, all weights and measures to be kept.

English Bill of Rights

Dec 16, 1689

Before William and Mary could take the British throne, a condition of their rule was agreement to an act of Parliament in 1689 known as the Bill of Rights. It guaranteed the right of British subjects to petition the king and to bear arms. It prohibited excessive bails and fines and cruel and unusual punishment. This British Bill of Rights protected far fewer individual rights than the American Bill of Rights adopted a century later.

Enlightenmnt

Jan 1, 1730

The Age of Enlightenment was a period of scientific awakening, largely centered around France, although the starting point for Enlightenment was John Locke's book Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which was a relentless attack on metaphysical arguments. Metaphysics is posing the existence of objects that cannot be observed. The Enlightenment met the church head on, tackling previously avoided issues. It was, at least initially, an act of great courage to defy the church.

1st Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1744

Delegates from each of the 13 colonies except for Georgia met in Philadelphia as the First Continental Congress to organize colonial resistance to Parliament’s Coercive Acts. The delegates included a number of future luminaries, such as future presidents John Adams of Massachusetts and George Washington of Virginia, and future U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice and diplomat John Jay of New York. The Congress was structured with emphasis on the equality of participants, and to promote free debate.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money collected by the Stamp Act was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains (10,000 troops were to be stationed on the American frontier for this purpose).

Quartering Act

Jun 2, 1765

The 1765 Quartering Act made provisions for British troops to be given food and shelter at the expense of the American colonists. The 1774 Quartering Act was one of the series of Intolerable Acts passed as a reprisal to the Boston Tea Party. The history of the Quartering Acts is directly linked to the causes of the American Revolution.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

Pre-Revolutionary incident growing out of the anger against the British troops sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the Townshend Acts. The troops, constantly tormented by irresponsible gangs fired into a rioting crowd and killed five men: three on the spot, two of wounds later. The British captain, Thomas Preston, and his men were tried for murder, Preston and six of his men were acquitted; two others were found guilty of manslaughter, punished, and discharged from the army.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

An act to allow a drawback of the duties of customs on the exportation of tea to any of his Majesty's colonies or plantations in America; to increase the deposit on bohea tea to be sold at the India Company's sales; and to empower the commissioners of the treasury to grant licenses to the East India Company to export tea duty-free. The tea act was important because the tea had no new taxes. Britain was simply trying to help East India Tea company.

13 Colonies Exist with Their Own Governments

Jul 4, 1773

There were three different types of government that was used by the colonies, Royal, Charter and Proprietary. Although they used different government types all of the colonies operated by the same basic principles, all of the systems of colonial governments elected their own legislature, they all were democratic, and they all had a governor, a governor’s court, and a court system. The colonial governments were representations of an extension of the English government.

Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

In response to the unpopular act, tea agents in many American cities resigned or canceled orders, and merchants refused consignments. In Boston, however, Governor Thomas Hutchinson resolved to uphold the law and ordered that three ships arriving in Boston Harbor be allowed to deposit their cargoes. This policy prompted about sixty men, including some members of the Sons of Liberty, to board the ships disguised as Native Americans and dump the tea chests into the water.

Intolerable Acts

Mar 24, 1774

The first of the Intolerable Acts closed the port of Boston so tightly that the colonists could not bring hay from Charlestown to give to their starving horses, the second of the Intolerable Acts put an end to the constitution of Massachusetts-only one town meeting was permitted a year in Massachusetts, unless approved by the governor. Town officials would no longer be elected; they were to be appointed by the royal governor. The executive council would no longer be elected, either.

2nd Continental Congress

May 10, 1775

On May 10, 1775, what became known as the Second Continental Congress was called into session as the British stormed Boston in an attempt to arrest the patriots that publicly voiced their grievances against the crown. With the bloody fights at Concord and Lexington fresh in their minds, the delegates of twelve of the thirteen Colonies came together in Philadelphia to draw up a statement of positions in regards to the actions of the British Parliament. Georgia did not send a delegate.

Declartion of Independance

Jul 4, 1776

Congress asked Thomas Jefferson and others to write a declaration of independence. They needed a document to declare why the colonies had to become independent of Britain. In this document, Jefferson wrote that people have the right to live, the right to be free, and the right to seek happiness. It says that people have rights that cannot be taken away, lists the complaints against the king, and argues that the colonies have to be free to protect the colonists’ rights.

Citations

Dec 31, 1900

"Magna Carta 1215." Magna Carta 1215. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"The Age of the Enlightenment." The Age of Enlightenment. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2014.
"EducationforFreedom." EducationforFreedom. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"History.org: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Official History and Citizenship Website." A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2014.

Citations

Dec 31, 1900

"Boston Massacre Historical Society." Boston Massacre Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"Intolerable Acts." Of 1774 ***. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"The Continental Congress." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"Second Continental Congress 1775 Summary & Accomplishments." Totally History Second Continental Congress Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.

Citations

Dec 31, 1900

"Magna Carta 800 Artist's Research Residency." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"Magna Carta 800 Artist's Research Residency." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.

Citations

Dec 31, 1900

U.S, "Bill Of Rights in, "Bill of Rights." West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005, "Bill of Rights in State Constitutions." Dictionary of American History. 2003, "Bill of Rights (in British History)." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2014, John Cannon, "Bill of Rights." World Encyclopedia. 2005, "Bill of Rights." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009, and "Bill Of Rights (in U.S. "Bill of Rights in US Constitution." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2003. Web. 16

Citations

Dec 31, 1900

"The 13 Colonies." 13 Colonies. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014
"The Stamp Act." : The Important People Associated With. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"The Quartering Act -- Intolerable Acts by MistaWolfy on DeviantART." The Quartering Act -- Intolerable Acts by MistaWolfy on DeviantART. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.
"Destruction of Tea in Boston Harbor in 1773." Teach US History |. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.

Ctations

Dec 31, 1900

"The American Revolution." The American Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"Intolerable Acts." The American Revolution:. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"The Continental Congress." The Continental Congress. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
"The Object of History | Behind the Scenes with the Curators of the National Museum of American History." The Object of History | Behind the Scenes with the Curators of the National Museum American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.

Citations/ Roles

Dec 31, 1900

"United States Declaration of Independence." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2014. Web. Aug. 2014
Group Roles:
Nia- Reasercher
Lauren- Summarizer
Zoe- Designer