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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Signed between the barons of Medieval England and King John, drafted by archbishop Stephen Langton. It was signed in a meadow at Runnymede in Egham, Surrey, South England. The charter is considered to be the beginning of constitutional government in England. The charter said that the church was to be free from royal interference, no taxes except the regular feudal dues, and the right to due process that led to trial by jury. -
Mayflower Compact
It was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the Separatists, also known as the "Saints", fleeing from religious persecution by King James of Great Britain. The purpose of the compact was to be a social contract in which the settlers consented to follow the compact's rules and regulations for the sake of survival. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights was put together to set up specific liberties that the king is prohibited from infringing. The main topics granted were restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, imprisonment without cause, restricting the use of martial law, and the forced billeting of soldiers. The main signers of the Petition were John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson. -
English Bill of Rights
It was a restatement in statutory form of the Declaration of Right presented by the Convention Parliament to William and Mary in March 1689. It lays down limits on the powers of the crown and sets out the rights of Parliament and rules for freedom of speech in Parliament. Signed by King William III and Queen Mary. The document had rights such as no royal interference with the law, no taxation by royal prerogative, and the freedom to petition the monarch without fear of retribution. -
French and Indian war part 2 (video)
Video about the french and indian war This video describes the events that took place during the French and Indian war, and gives a perspective of both sides of the fight. -
French and Indian War
Many important people took part in this war such as Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie, the colonial leader of Virginia in 1754 and Earl of Loudoun, commander-in-chief of British forces. The major groups in this war were Great Britain, France, and the American Indians. Some major battles were the Battle of the Trough and Battle of Fort Niagara. The British won the French and Indian war. The French & Indian War negatively changed the relationship with us & the british because taxes were raised. -
Albany Plan of Union
Article about Albany Plan of Union It represented an attempt to form a union of the colonies "under one government as far as might be necessary for defense and other general important purposes”. It failed because every colony had their own agenda. For example, New York largely spoke Dutch and New England was largely still puritan. Ben Franklin created "join or die", a cartoon about Albany plan of union. -
King George III takes power
American colonies were growing vary rapidly in population and it was evident that it would not be more that a few decades that the population would eclipse England. King George III decided that he needed to have a standing Army in America. He the colonies should pay for part of the war and pay the costs for keeping British soldiers in North America to protect the colonies. He soon after ordered the Proclamation of 1763. All of his actions angered the Americans and added tension to the relation -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the one tax that angered the colonies the most. This Act put a direct tax on newspaper, pamphlet, almanacs, playing cards, and legal papers. In response to this tax many colonies felt the rebellion spirit. One of these colonies was Virgina, more particuarlly angered was a man named Sam Adams. Adams organized a Secret Sons of Liberty in protest. Another individual in protest was Ben Franklin, he appealed the tax at The British House of Commons. His appeal was disregarded. -
Boston Massacre
Five colonists died in the massacre and two were injured. This massacre occurred because of a heavy presence of British officials in America. Toward end of the military threat from France, Britain imposed a series of taxes. People began to revolt and Boston was a center of this resistance and the British sent troops in 1768 to protect Loyalist interests. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty organized this event. The British responded to this by making the Intolerable Acts which closed the Boston Ports and had a negative impact on the Massachusetts government. -
First Continental Congress
This meeting was in response to Britian's enactment of the Coercive Acts. This action caused the first signs of resistance in America. The first Continental Congress took place in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia.The meeting included 56 delagates from the colonies, Georgia not included.Peyton Randolph was voted to be the President of Congress.The main people involved in the Congress were: John Adams, John Jay, George Washington, and Patrick Henry.This meeting was a catalyst of rebellion spirit. -
First Continental Congress
This meeting took place at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some of the main people involved were Peyton Randolph, who was in authority of the meeting’s procedures, Henry Middleton, who became president over the last few days, & Charles Thomson, who was elected secretary of the congress. The Congress had two main accomplishments. The first was an agreement among the colonies to boycott British goods beginning on December 1, 1774. The 2nd was to provide for a 2nd congress meeting. -
Intolerable Acts
Britian imposed these acts in response to the events of the Boston Tea Party days before. Britian closed Boston to all merchant shipping, established permanent military rule in mass, made officals immune to criminal prosecution in America, and enacted the Quartering Act. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to disscus the need for an offical army and declaring independence. The two men running this meeting were General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Dickinson. The Congress agreed on the creation of the Olive Branch Petition. This petition asked King George III, of England to help the colonists resolve their differance. This petition was dismissed. -
Declaration Of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson after his publication of "A Summary View of the Rights of British America". This severed the power of Britian over America. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Continental Congress put together a five member commission to negotiate a treaty but the main people who conducted the negotiations were John Adams, Ben Franklin, and John Jay. THe new boundaries of the United States were securing the fishermen's right of acess tothe Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland and other fisheries in Canadian waters. The British recognized our Declaration of Independence. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The convention convened to discuss a peaceful overthrow of the American government as defined in the Articles of Confederation. At the Annapolis Convention they devised provisions to render the constitution of the federal government like those of the union. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement amoung the 13 states that established the United States of America, this served as the first constitution. Its drafting began in mid-1776 and the formal ratification was completed in early 1781. The first congressional president that the confederation pointed towards was Samuel Huntington. -
Lexington and Concord
This site provides information about what happened on this day and the events going up to it. It is very well set up.The beginning of the Revolutionary War began on the battle feilds of Lexington and Concord. When news of the British attack on America Joseph Warren dispatched Paul Revere and Tanner William Dawes to keep watch for them. That night Revere spotted the British and alarmed the militas. The militas faught under Buttrick and Robinson, while the British were run by Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne, and Lord Percy.
