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Jun 1, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a series of documnts stating the promises of the king to his people. It was signed between the feudal barons of medieval England and king John at Runnymede near Windsor Castle. The Magna Carta states that everyone shall have access to the courts and that if finances were an issue, arrangements could be made so hat one could make their case. -
Period: Jun 1, 1215 to
The Road to the constitution
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Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first written framework of government established in what is now the United States. Its purpose was to form a stable government once the pilgrims came to the new world. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was the foundation on which the British Constitution was made. It was signed by King William III and Queen II. It was an act declaring the rights and liberties of the subject and settling the succession of the crown. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Right was a statement of civil liberties sent by the English Parliament to Charles I. The rights granted to the people under this petition were that no taxes could be levied without parliaments consent, no one could be imprisoned without a shown reason, no soldiers may be quartered upon the citizenry, and material law may not be allowed during a time of peace. The petition was then signed by King Charles I. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a proposal made intended to create a strong union of the colonies under a single government. It suggested by Benjamin Franklin but it was not carried out as it was rejected by colonial governments and the English Parliament. The associated political cartoon with this event is the first political cartoon in American history known as the "Join, or Die," -
French and Indian War
The French and War was the product of French and British competition over colonies. Major players involved with the French and Indian War were the nations of Austria, Great Britain, France, Prussia, and Sweden. Major battles include the Battle at Fort Necessity, the Battle of the Wilderness, Battle at Oswego, Massacre at Fort William Henry, battle at Fort Louisberg, and the Battle of Quebec. Britain ultimately won the war but lead to tension betweeen Britain and the colonies. -
King George III takes power
After the French Indian War, King George III had a great amount of debt. He attempted to extract money from the colonists, but they objected. Thus causing king George III to become enraged. -
Stamp Act
Colonists were requred to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper that they used. The colonists reacted immediately and demonstrated their resistance through debates, mobs, and even songs. -
Boston Massacre
Many Bostonians saw the presence of British troops as a threat by the British government against its critics in Massachusetts. A lone British soldiers standing guard had an argument with a colonist and struck him. This led to 5 people dying and 6 were injured during the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was organized by the Sons of Liberty a political organization shrouded in secrecy. The British responded to the Boston Tea Party by making the Intolerable Acts which closed the Boston Ports and destroyed the Massachusetts government. This helped the spark to the American Revolution. -
Intolerable Acts
The colonists were upset with King George III for their increased taxes so they thought dumping his orders of tea in the harbor was a good idea. It wasnt. King George decided to punish the colonists by passing the intolerable acts. Provisions of the Intolerable Acts include: the impartial administration of justice act, the Massachusetts Bay regulating act, the Boston Port Act, the Quartering Act, and the Quebec Act. -
First Continental Congress
The First Contenental Congress was held to protest the Intolerable Acts after the Boston Tea Party. Key figures of this event were Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams, and John Jay. Delegates from the colonies (with exception of Georgia) drafted a declaration of their rights and grievances. This meeting took place at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles at Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. Major generals involved in the battle were Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne, and Lord Percy on the British side. On the American side were Paul Revere and William Dawes. Paul Revere rode to the colonies to warn them that the british were coming. In the end the British suffered a great loss, the Americans then saw this event as an encouraging start to the war. -
Second Continental Congress
The congress met in the state house of Philadelphia where they talked about officially breaking away from Britain and putting the colonies in a state of defense. This state of defense later became the American Continental Army. Important colonial leaders that attended the meeting were Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, and George Washington -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a statement , by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the 13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a union that would become a new nation , the United States of America. -
Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. -
Start of the Constitutional Convention
The Consttutional Convention was a convention held to discuss the issues with the Articles of Confederation. Delegates from several colonies attendec, thus contributing to the formation of a new government. The end result was the creation of the Constitution.
