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509 BCE
Ancient Roman Democracy
In Rome, representatives were elected to make laws in a republic form of government. This influenced American elections for representatives from every state. -
1215
Magna Carta
The oldest written law signed by King John, limited the King's power in England. This influenced the American system of checks and balances which keeps one branch of government from having too much power. -
House of Burgesses
This was the house of Virginia legislature. It was the first legislative assembly. It influenced future meetings of the legislative branch of government. -
The Mayflower Compact
This was the first governing document of the Plymouth colony. It was signed by the pilgrims on the mayflower. This document marks the first roots of self-government in the colonies and further leads to independence from Great Britain. -
English Bill of Rights
William and Mary signed this, limiting the power of the monarch in England. This gave power to the people and established a limited government. The limited power of the government and the people's voice influenced the system of checks and balances and the right to vote in America. -
Albany Plan
Over 20 representatives from the 13 colonies came together in Albany New York to discuss a plan suggested by Benjamin Franklin. The plan was to create one unified government for all the colonies. This influenced the federal government we have today in America. -
Stamp Act Congress
In Colonial America, colonists boycott British goods because of unfair taxes. This led to more unfair acts forced by the King and eventually the Revolutionary War. This was important to America because we gained our independence from Great Britain. -
Intolerable Acts
The King began enforcing a group of taxes and tariffs in 1765. These led to an uprising in the colonies. This encouraged the need for independence and established "No Taxation Without Representation". -
Common Sense
The pamphlet written by Thomas Paine stated monarchy was bad and the colonies needed to fight for freedom. This was the first influence of the American Revolution and the reason America is free today. -
Declaration of Independance
The ratification of this document announced the separation of America from Great Britain. It led to the constitution and the bill of rights which are still in place today. -
Articles of Confederation
After being approved by the 2nd continental congress, this document proved weak and established the need for a stronger national government to enforce the law. This influenced the power the federal government holds today. -
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
As part of the constitutional convention an agreement to protect the interests of slaveholders was put into place. This forbid congress from taxing the export of goods from any state and the power to act on slave trade. This allowed slavery to continue in the United States after gaining their independence. -
Signing of the Constitution
Written during the Philadelphia Convention, the constitution laid down the laws and rights of every US citizen. The constitution is still in place today. -
Federalist Papers
These 85 articles, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, were first released by the New York press. They promoted the ratification of the US Constitution. -
Natural Rights
The natural law theory was established during the age of enlightenment and led to the social contract theory. This influenced positive law in american government. -
Louisiana Purchase
President Jefferson bought a large chunk of land from France. This was the first time a president has purchased land and raised the question whether or not it was constitutional. By purchasing land President Jefferson established that a president held executive power to purchase land. -
Marbury vs Madison
The United States Supreme Court established judicial review. This means they have the right to evaluate the constitutional validity of a legislative act. -
End of Slavery
When slavery officially ended the ways of american life drastically changed. Without slavery coming to an end America would be completely different today and many laws we have would not be in place. -
Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Union
The founding of this first labor union encouraged fair pay and better working conditions in factories. This influenced laws that protected the working class to be passed. -
New Jersey vs. TLO
This supreme court case decided that schools only needed suspicion to search a student. This established that students rights are limited while on school property.
