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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta limits the king's power to protect the rights of all citizens. The Barons forced King John to sign the document in Englad, because he was violating the rights of his people. The document then gave the people many rights, including the right to trial by jury, and freedom of church and royal intervention. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first written framework of government that was established in the United States. It was created to maintain harmony between Puritans and the non-separatist Puritans. To see the original transcript of the Mayflower Compact as well as some interesting facts about the document, please visit this link: Mayflower Compact Facts -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights was an English declaration of the rights and liberties of its people. It was signed by King Charles I, and granted the people many rights such as freedom from paying taxes unless specified by an act of parliament, and freedom from imprisonment contrary to the laws of the land. Also, rules were set against soldiers and sailors stating that they could not be lodged in private property, and could not be punished by martial law. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was an act of the parliament of England that limits the power of the crown, and sets out the rights of parliament. It was written by the parliament of England, and the people were guaranteed freedom of royal interference of the law, freedom to petition without consequences, as well as many other rights. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was fought because the British wanted to expand their land in North America. The major players in the war were the French, the British, and the Iroquois. Some major battles were The Battle of Quebec, the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga, and the Battle of Montreal. The British ultimately won the French and Indian War, but they forced the American colonies to pay for the war. This made many of the colonists unhappy with England. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was suggested by Benjamin Franklin; however it was never carried out. The popular political cartoon “Join, or Die” is associated with the Albany Plan of Union and depicts a snake cut into eighths, with each section labeled with the initials of one of the thirteen original American colonies. -
King George III takes power
King George III took power of the throne of England on October 25th, 1760. He was the first king to be born in Britain, spoke English as his first language, and never visited Hanover. He forced the colonies to pay for the war, and pay the costs of keeping British Soldiers in North America. These caused many of the colonies to resent the British. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a direct tax from Britain imposed on the American Colonies. All printed pieces of paper were taxed, including ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, and newspapers. The colonial leaders decided that the Stamp Act was unconstitutional, and refused to pay the tax. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a terrible event in which British soldiers opened fire on American civilians, killing five colonists. The Stamp and Townshend Acts were enforced at the time, and provoked the American colonists to protest against the unfair taxes. A video re-enacting the Boston Massacre can be found here: Boston Massacre Video -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was organized by the political group known as the Sons of Liberty. On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists snuck on to a British ship and began to throw tea overboard in protest of the Tea Act of 1773. The British responded to this event by passing the Intolerable Acts. For more information and a brief video summery of the event, visit: Boston Tea Party Video -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were passed by King George III in retaliation of the Boston Tea Party. This closed Boston Harbor to all ships except for those sent from Britain. Also, the Quartering Act forced the colonists to feed and house British troops in their homes. Furthermore, the Administration of Justice Act stated that British Officials could not be tried in colonial courts. The British Governor was also in charge of all future town meetings in Boston. Also, the U.S. boarder was shrunken down. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was made of many important American figures such as George Washington, John Adams, and Patrick Henry. The most notable result from these meetings was the decision to boycott British goods. Also the First Continental Congress set up the framework for the Second Continental Congress. These meetings took place at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of an armed conflict between America and Britain that later became known as the Revolutionary War. The major American generals were General John Parker and General James Barrettt, and the major British generals were Lt. Colonel Frances Smith, and General John Pitcairm. Paul Revere warned the colonies that the British were attacking, and spread the word to prepare America for the Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a group of colonist leaders who met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The idea of totally breaking off from Britain came from this group. They finally decided to act upon the idea by writing and signing the Declaration of Independence. Also, they put the colonies in a state of defense, and decided on important ideas such as printing paper money. The main colonial leaders were Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson. -
Declaration of Independece
With this historic document, America announced to Britain that they were an independent nation, and demanded to be free from British rule. For mroe interesting facts about the Declaration of Independence visit this page: Declaration of Independence Facts -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement between the 13 founding states to classify America as a confederation of sovereign states. Also, this document served as the United States' first constitution. The first president under the articles was John Hanson. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was formed as an attempt to solve some of America's biggest problems. The most significant result of the Constitutional Convention was the creation of the United States Constitution.
