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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
<a href='http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEpYfq6DZc' ><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lCEpYfq6DZc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></a>The Magna Carta was signed by King John in Egham Surrey. By signing this document, King John freed the church from royal interference, got rid of taxes with the exception of feudal tax which could only be changed with the consent of the Great Council or Parliament, and gave people the right to due process leading to trial by jury, -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact is an extremely important document for the United States, because it was the first government document ever to be established. This document was created in order to avoid impending discord between Puritans and Pligrims. -
English Bill of Rights
<a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqAX9aS6LSQ' ><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yqAX9aS6LSQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></a>The English Bill of Rights was signed by William and Mary of Orange. It allowed Parliament to be summoned frequently and gave free elections, it gave members freedom of speech in Parliament, it kept armies from rising during times of peace,
No taxes could be levied, without the authority of parliament Laws should not be dispensed with, or suspended, without the consent of parliament No excessive fines should imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted -
Petition of Rights
Induced by the reign of Charles I, the Petition of Rights are those civil rights guaranteed to the people. It is potentially the second most important document after the Magna Carta.
1.) No freeman shall be coerced to pay any tax, loan, or benevolence, unless in accordance with an act of parliament.
2.) No freeman should be imprisoned opposing the laws of the land
3.) Soldiers and sailors should not be stationed in private homes
4.) Instructions to punish soldiers should be erradicated. -
English Bill of Rights
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French and Indian War
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French and Indian War Part II
<a href='http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mphUZDdMpZA' ><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mphUZDdMpZA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></a>relationship between Great Britian and the British colonies was left in shambles as a result of the loss of loyalty from taxation without representation. -
French and Indian War Part I
French and Indian War: 1753-1765
The major players of the French and Indian War included Great Britain, the British colonies, the Iroquois Confederacy, France, and the Native American Nations. Some of the major battles in this war included The Battle at Fort Necessity, Battle of Fort Duqesne, Battle of Fort Wilderness, and the Capture of Quebec. In the end, Great Britain, the British colonies, and the Iroquois Confederation were victorious, however, the relationship between between Great Britain -
Albany Plan of the Union
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Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan suggested by Benjamin Franklin that aimed to place the colonies under a centralized government. This plan was never carried out, however, it is very well known for being the first plan to put the colonies together under one government. The popular cartoon associated with this even is known by its slogan "Join Or Die" showing a snake cut into eight pieces. -
King George III Takes Power
The British were victorious after fighting in the Seven Years War, however, they were left with tremendous war debts. The war gave Britain a lot of power over North America, but Britain forced them to pay entirely too much because of war debts. This left the loyalty that colonists once had to Britain deeply shaken. -
Stamp Act
As an attempt to gain revenue for Great Britain, the King passed taxes on the Colonies on the following items: parchment papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, and playing cards. American citizens reacted with gusto, lead by The Virginia House of Burgesses. They determined that Americans cannot be taxed under the English without representation in Parliament. Anyone paying the taxes was to be considered an enemy. Only the House could pass taxes, and this was Patrick Henry's Resolve. -
Intolerable Acts
Preceeding the meeting of the First Continental Congress, the Intolerable Acts were passed by Britain. The Crown was fed up with Colonial shenanigans and made a martyr out of Massachuessets. Other colonies had to be treated the same.
-Boston Port Act: shipping of goods was to be suspended for Massachusetts leading port city.
-Massachusetts Government Act: Britain would take control of all political issues faced by Massachusetts
-Quebec Act: the crown takes owenership of the Canadian province -
Boston Massacre
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Boston Massacre
<a href='http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=li7fIijSZnY' ><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/li7fIijSZnY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></a>The Boston Massacre is often described as "the spark that ignited the Revolutionary War". Tensions had been high since British troops arrived in Massachusetts to enforce the Townshend Acts, but tensions culminated when British regulars killed five colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party occurred when a group of Patriots from Massachusetts protested the tax and monopolization of tea by dressing up as indians and dumping the chests of tea from a ship into the harbor. In response to this acto of defiance, British Parliament passed an act that closed Boston Harbor to all commerce, appointed General Thomas Gage, already commanded of the king’s troops in Massachusetts, to be governor. -
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First Continental Congress
In retaliation to recent taxes, the Colonies desired to be treated as political equals with the King and Parliament. The Declaration and Resolves established how Congress was to run and the common goals of the colonies. If the English monarchy failed to repeal the grievances they caused, then Congress would meet again in a year. It took place at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia.
Major Names: G. Washington, R.H. Lee, P.Henry, Edmund Pendleton, Colonel B. Harrison, Richard Bland, and P. Harrison -
Lexington and Concord
The ever famous line, "the British are coming! The British are coming," shouted by Paul Revere kicked off the battles at Lexington and Concord. British troops attacked the two towns, The shots fired here were the spawning of the Revolutionary War. Major generals involved would be Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne and Lord Percy. -
Second Contintenal Congress
The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia to discuss how the course of the next few years would proceed. Here, the delegates from the 13 colonies would decide to compose a continental army due to the recent descrepencies faced at Lexington and Concord. However, they would also compose the Olive BranchPetition as an attempt at peace with the King. With the hire of Hessian mercenaries to fight alongside the British, war was to ensue. Leaders: Hancock,Madison,Washington,Adams,&Jay. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, in watered down layman's terms, was America's break up letter to Great Britain. In the Delcaration, all grievances faced by the American colonies, such as taxation without representation, were outlined to the King. 56 delegates from the states signed their names on the legal document that would initiate the official kick off of the Revolutionary War. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were created in order to give a sense of unification to the States during the Revolutionary War. The Articles of Confederation were ratified by all thirteen states and broke down the government system into the three branches we know today: judiciary, legislative, and state. No executive branch was established. However, the new government was very weak, so six years later in 1787, the delegates met again to draft a new Constitution. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
Every occurrence during the Constitutional Convention was to be kept private, no printed records were released until after James Madison’s death. He himself stated: "That nothing spoken in the house be printed, or otherwise published or communicated without leave.” The New Jersey Plan and Virginia plans were determined here. States would send two delegates to the House, while delegates sent to the Senate would be determined by the population of a state.
