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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was signed by King John I of England in Runnymead, England. The purpose of the Magna Carta was to make the King govern by old English laws that had prevailed. It allows citizens to own and inherit property, protects them from excessive taxes, and allows the church to be free from governmental interferance. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. There was no government, therefore some of the colonists thought they could leave and do as they please. The Mayflower Compact was written as a temporary form of government until an official form came from England. -
Petition of Rights
Signed by Charles I, the Petition of Rights contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of marital law. -
English Bill of Rights
Americapedia The English Bill of Rights, signed by King and Queen William and Mary of Orange, allowed citizens the freedom to petition the monarch without fear, no royal interference with the law, no taxation, no standing army may be maintained during the time of peace, and no excessive bail or "cruel and unusual" punishments. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was fought between the colonies of British America and New France, with both sides having support from Great Britain and France. Native Americans fought for both sides, but primarily alongside the French. The major battles include victories at Fort William Henry, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Niagra, and Fort Duquesne. The war resulted in France loosing all of it's possessions in North America and British colonists no longer needing protection from the French. -
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King George III takes power
King George III changed the relationship between the British and the colonies as a result of the French and Indian War by deciding to tax colonists, which later turned into the Quartering and Stamp Acts. The colonists hated this because it was taxation without representation. They had no say. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act imposed a direct tax by the British Parliament on the colonies, requiring that many printed materials be produced on stamped paper. These materials were legal documents, magazines, newspapers, and many other types of paper used throughout the colonies. As a result, colonial leaders rebelled against Great Britain and set up many small organizations due to their anger about not having a say. "No taxation without representation". -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre was an incident in which the British Army killed fived colonists and injured six others. A mob of American colonists were taunting British soldiers guarding the Customs House in Boston. The mob was protesting the occupation of their city by British troops who were sent to Boston to enforce taxation passed by British Parliament that lacked American representation. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party took place when a group of Massachusetts Patriots protested on American tea importation in a midnight raid on three tea ships and threw chests of tea into the harbor. In response, the British created the Intolerable Acts which closed the Boston ports and destroyed the Massachusetts government. -
Intolerable Acts
In hopes of restoring order in Massachusetts, the British passed the Intolerable Acts; The Boston Port Bill, The Quartering Act, The Administration of Justice, Massachusetts Government Act, and The Quebec Act following the Boston Tea Party. In order to recover the cost of the French and Indian War, the general opinion of the English was that colonies benefited and should bear the burden of that war. By closing ports and making colonists pay, the Intolerable Acts gave the British an upperhand. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from 12 colonies that met at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Including famous Patriots like John Adams, Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Patrick Henry, The First Continental Congress established a plan of union for Great Britain and the colonies. These delegates created a Declaration that would state the rights of the colonists and halt trade with Britain. -
Lexington and Concord
Liberty's KidsThe battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements in the American Revolutionary War. British troops were sent to Concord by Colonel Francis Smith to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, but both men had been warned beforehand. The night of April 18th, Paul Revere rode through Concord warning everybody about the attack. Captain John Parker and Colonel James Barrett lead the Americans to victory and gave citizens their rights and liberties back. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the 13 colonies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lead by John Adams, Robert Morris, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson. The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved towards gaining independence by raising armies, appointing diplomats, and forming treaties. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a statement that announced the 13 colonies regarded themselves as independent states. They formed a union that would become a new nation, the United States. -
Articles of Confederation
John Hanson was elected President of the Continental Congress, and became the first president to serve a one-year term under the Articles of Confederation. -
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Start of Constitutional Convention
Addresses the problems in governing the United States of America by revising the Articles of Confederation and creating a new government rather than fix the exisiting one. -
Albany Plan of Union
Suggested by Benjamin Franklin, the Albany Plan of Union was a proposal to create a unified government for the 13 colonies. Unfortunately, the plan did not succeed because every colony had their own agenda. America's first political cartoon was printed of a severed snaked entitled, "Join, or Die". The cartoon depicted the British North American colonies as a snake cut into eight pieces, with each piece including an initial of a separate colony.
