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Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a charter of liberties that symbolized freedom from oppression and England. It was signed in Runnymede.The rebel barons wanted King John to give them more personal rights instead of having a dictatorship. The barons and Archbishop Langton stood behind King John. It is one of the most important documents in history because it sets the basis for accountability of a government and protecting individual rights. -
House of Burgesses
This was the first democratically elected legislative body in British North America. This took place in Jamestown. Each county in Virginia sent two members, or burgesses, to the meeting. This was the beginning of a democracy in the United States and also helped start the American Revolutionary War. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was drafted to prevent opposition among Puritans and non separatist Pilgrims who had landed at Plymouth a few days earlier. It was signed by forty one English men part of the crew aboard the ship named Mayflower. It is important because it established the first written framework for our government today in the United States. -
Petition of Right
This was a petition sent by the English Parliament to King Charles I explaining how there had been a series of breaches of the laws. Four main problems were stated in the petition. King Charles I was compelled to accept and sign the petition, however, he later ignored its principles. This event is significant because it shows how the citizens took power when their rights were violated and got the government back in check. -
Great Fundamentals
The Plymouth colonists created a series of laws and compiled them all into a document known as "The Great Fundamentals". This took place in the Plymouth colony. Many would view this as one of the first demands for a representative government and individual rights in the American colonies. -
The Leviathan
The Leviathan was written partly as a response to the fear Hobbes experienced during the political turmoil of the English Civil Wars. The book was written by Thomas Hobbes, an English Philosopher. His book challenged the ideas of contemporary government and explained how a single ruler would be best. Hobbes competition helped us realize that this is not the case. He wanted everything to be controlled by one person, however, in order to keep the peace, a democracy was created. -
English bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights is an act that Parliament of England passed. The Bill creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election and strengthens freedom of speech. It also helped us declare the rights and liberties we the people should have. This set limits on our government and gave rights to the people. -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan was a plan to create a unified government for the thirteen colonies, suggested by Benjamin Franklin and a few other delegates. This originated in Albany, New York. This did help establish one uniform government that all states must follow, however, we also have individual state governments underneath the national level. -
Stamp Act Congress
This was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that imposed a direct tax on the colonies of British America and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. In March 1766 the Stamp Act was repealed, but it had been a key link in the chain of events that led to an independent United States. -
Tea Act
The act's main purpose was not to raise revenue from the colonies but to bail out the East India Company, a key actor in the British economy. The British government granted the company a monopoly on the importation and sale of tea in the colonies. This was the catalyst of the Boston Tea Party. This act shows how civilians took a stand against the government because they were being over taxed. They boycotted certain goods in order to restrict the government. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress. The document was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The document is symbolic of American democracy and one of the free charters of freedom. It gave birth to our country, the United States of America. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. The Continental Congress adopted this document. It acted as the first constitution of the United States before being replaced by the more recent and elaborate United States Constitution. -
The Virginia Plan
The Virginia plan was a proposal by James Madison for a bicameral legislative branch. The purpose of the plan was to base each state's votes on its population. It also proposed the separation of powers that we know today. This plan gave us the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches we have today. -
The New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan called for each state to have one vote in Congress instead of the number of votes being based on population. It was introduced to the Constitutional Convention by William Paterson, who was a New Jersey delegate. The plan gave every state one vote and gives congress the power to raise revenue and regulate commerce. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise was adopted at the Constitutional Convention, providing the states with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. It was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, Connecticut's delegates to the Constitutional Convention. This helped establish individual rights that each state can posses while still following the national laws. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was created by the Confederation Congress to create the first organized territory of the United States. This created the Northwest Territory, which stretched from the Ohio river to the Mississippi river, and the areas around the great lakes to encompass what is today, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and parts of Minnesota. At the time, this created boundaries for the states involved and also forbid slavery within those lines. Today, slavery is forbidden everywhere. -
Signing of the Constitution
The U.S. Constitution established America's national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. It was signed by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, lead by former President George Washington. The Constitution allowed for the amendments to be created. It was made as a document that outlined the basic laws and ideas that formed our country. -
The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers is a collection of articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. It was written in New York in order to persuade their opinion. This had given the states a new look at government under the Constitution instead of the failing Articles of Confederation. The Federalist Papers allowed for the government to change and evolve to become the one we have today. -
New York Ratifies the Constitution
The success of the Constitution was in doubt until New York had agreed to ratify it. This gave New York the opportunity to adjust some of the statements included. Eventually, the majority of the states had voted in favor of the Constitution and it had become official. Apart from defining laws to establish and control our national government, the Constitution enables us to understand its basic framework and operations. -
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments make up the Bill of Rights. These are rights that every citizen is born with and are guaranteed to have under the United States Constitution. Each state signed the Bill of Rights in order to allow it to become a federal law. Today, the Bill of Rights protects our natural rights and ensures the governments power is limited.
