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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is a legal document that helps govern England. The Magna Carta was signed by King John and the Barons of Medieval England at Runnymede, near Windsor Castle in England. The document states that all subjects would be able to go to court without having to worry about cost, and that no one will be imprisoned without a fair trial. The picture is the seal of King John that was put at the bottom of the document, legalizing it and showing the King's approval. -
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta VIDEO
This video clip is of a British educational video on the history of the Magna Carta, explaining how it was put into effect and how it has affected British history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYXuTZWNOJo -
Mayflower Compact
It was the first written framework of government in America and prevented dissent among Puritan and non-Separatist Pilgrims. It was modeled after the church covenant that the Puritans drafted in 1607. It is an important precident for the idea of a written American Constitution. The picture is of the Pilgrims creating and signing the Compact. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Right is an English constitutional document that set limits on the king's power. The rights granted to the subjects included restrictions on taxes, stopping forcing civilians to house soldiers, no imprisonment without cause, and more restrictions on the use of martial law. The Petition was initiated by Sir Edward Coke. It was signed by King Charles I. The image is a portrait of King Charles I. -
English Bill of Rights
This laid down limits on the power of the crown and set out rights of Parliament, along with rules of freedom of speech in Parliament. It required elections for Parliament positions and allowed the right to petition the monarch without fear of retribution. It was signed by the Parliament of England and William and Mary, who were king and queen. The Bill of Rights has never been amended. It is an English precursor of the Constitution. -
Albany Plan of Union
Ben Franklin suggested the plan, but it was rejected by Parliament. The political cartoon "Join or Die," created by Ben Franklin, is associated with this. The plan was to unite the colonies under one congress. The Albany Plan was never put into action. Despite the failure, it served as a model for future attempts at uniting the colonies. The "Join or Die" cartoon is represented with a snake. -
French and Indian War
This war was also called the Seven Years War because it went until 1763. It was an imperial struggle between Britain and France. Britian declared war on France and they fought on American soil. The French surrendered Quebec after a battle outside the city on the plains of Abraham. The battles include the Battle of Bunker Hill and shots that were fired at Lexington and Concord. The British won after they captured Montreal, ending the conflict in North America. The image shows a battle of the war. -
King George III Takes Power
King George changed the relationship between the British and the colonists because he increased taxes, introducing the Stamp Act and other Acts. This caused the colonists to want to split from Great Britian. After the French and Indian War, Americans received their independence, and the Treaty of Paris was signed in Britain, recognizing the United States. He reigned for 59 years. He was ten succeeded by King George V. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act imposed a tax on all paper documents in the colonies. It was the first tax levied directly on the colonists by the British government. The colonists resorted to mob violence to intimidate stamp collectors into resigning. Parliament repealed the Act but issued a declaratory act. Britain was hurt after the act was issued because they looked to the colonies as a revenue source. -
Boston Massacre
Five colonists were killed in the massacre. The Townshed Act led to this tragedy because it angered the colonists. They formed protests, and on March 5th the police fired back on them. It was a street fight that included throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks. Eventually two British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter. The image shown is a picture representation of the British shooting the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
Massachusetts patriots organized the event. The British responded by the Coercive Act in 1774, which was intended to punish the colonies in general and Massachusetts in particular. 342 chests of tea were seized and dumped into the harbor. This was one of the major events in the Revolutionary War. The image is a painting of the bay after the tea party occured. -
Intolerable Acts
These Acts were also known as the Coercive Acts. They were a series of punitive laws passed by Parliament. King George III placed these on the colonists to punish them for the Boston Tea Party. These stripped Massachusetts of historic rights and self government. The Acts forced the colonists to be subject to the British and follow all orders or risk the punishment of death. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a congress that met in secret. The meetings were held in Philadelphia and some of the men to attend were president Peyton Randolph, John Jay, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and John Adams. The colonists were united in mechanisms to show combined authority to Great Britaon. They wanted King and Parliament to understand the grievances of the colonists. 56 delegates were present there that day, and they agreed to boycott British goods. -
Lexington and Concord
This was the start of the Revolutionary War. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm to the colonists. Once the fighting began, the British soon had to retreat because of intense fire. Some of the important men included Colonel Smith, General Thomas Cage, and General George Washington. The colonists gained their independence from Britain after the war ended. -
Second Continental Congress
It began after the Revolutionary War ended. It took place in Philadelphia. The meeting included delegates from 13 colonies. President of the Congress Peyton Randolph, Charles Thomas, Ben Franklin, and John Hancock were some of the important men that were in attendance. A rough draft of the Declaration of Independence was written. It agreed that a continental army would be created to counter the military threat of the British. -
Declaration of Independence LINK
This link is to a transcription of the Declaration. There are also links to information on other important American documents. http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html -
Declaration of Independence
This was the Americans' reward for fighting for their own rights under the British crown. Some of the important men on the committee included Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. Twelve of the thirteen colonies adopted Lee's resolution for independence. Today, July fourth is celebrated in America as Independence Day, and it is a landmark in the history of democracy. The image shown is a painting of the signing of the Declaration. -
The Articles of Confederation
The actual ratification of the Articles doesn't occur until March 1, 1781. They created a loose Confederation of the states and a weak central government. Most of the power was given to the state governments. It became clear that a federal government was needed, which led to the Constitutional Convention. Under the Articles, the new country would remain weak and separated, open to foreign intervention. John Hanson was the first man to be elected as president, and he is shown in the portrait. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was the document that ended the Revolutionary War. America was represented by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. The US was granted land west to the Mississippi River, south to Spanish Florida, and north to British Canada. The British finally recognized the Declaration of Independence. The Congress of the Confederation ratified the Treaty in January 1784. The image is a painting of the delegates signing the Treaty. -
Start of the Constitutional Convention LINK
This link goes to a website with resources for information on every aspect of the Constitutional Convention: summaries of the days of the convention, people that were involved, arguments that transpired, and more. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/intro/ -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The Annapolis Convention, in September of 1786, was a meeting of delegates from five states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia. They unanimously called for a Constitutional Convention, which took place in spring of the following year in Philadelphia. The original purpose of the convention was to improve the Articles of Confederation. The convention lasted from May to September of 1787, and its discussions were kept secret until the end. The painting shows the signing.
