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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
This image depicts the King signing the magna Carta. The Magna Carta is a doument that granted limitations to the power of a monarch and protected privelges of its people. The document was signed in England by King John. He was forced to sign the document by his subjects to proclaim cerrtain liberties and accept that his will was not arbitrary. He had to renounce certain rights, respect certain legal procedures, accept the face the fact that his will could be bound by law, and that his subjects had rights agianst unlawful imprisonment. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was created to prevent dissent among the Puritans and the non separatist Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth days earlier. This document was the first framework of a governemnt in the US. It was signed by 41 people. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights was signed by King Charles I. Under this, the people gained four principles: no taxation without the consent of Parliament, no imprisonment without cause, no quartering of soldiers on subjects, and no martial law in peacetime. Although Charles I accepted the petition, he later violated it. This petition had been initiated by Sir Edward Coke and had been sent by the English Parliament to Charles I. For his acceptence of the petition, Charles had been granted subsidies. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights created limits on the powers of the crown. It created rights for the Parliament and granted them the freedom of speech. This document also allowed Parliament the right to petition the monarch's rule without retribution. It allowed Protestants to have arms in their defence. The Parliament of England were evidently involved with the making of this document. The items within this document is still in use today. It is a main constitutional law that governs the succession. -
Albany Plan of Union
This proposal was suggested by Benjamin Franklin. The purpose of this plan was to create a unified government among the thirteen colonies. People of Congress wanted the government to be administered by a President General, who they wanted the Crown to supoort, and wanted to create a council whose members were chosen by colonial assemblies. This plan was denied by the Crown so it did not happen. Benjamin Franklin also created the political cartoon, "Join, or Die" which was associated with this. -
French Indian War
This war occurred between 1756 and 1763. It is also known as the Seven Years' War. The major players in this war were the British and the French. It formed an imperial stuggle between the two nations. Significant battles of this war include the Battle of Quebec,Battle of Fort Ducane, Battle of Ticonderoga. Ultimately the winner of this conflict was England. The English received all the land east of the Mississippi River and Canada. This led the US to westward expansion and the Revolutionary War. -
King George Takes Power
As a result of the French and Indian War, King George III altered the relationship between the American colonies and England by his act of attempting to take control of America. America was used to being free, and the King tried to tighten its grip on the colonies. England's victory of this war ultimately led to the American Revolution. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament. The money that was collected by the Stamp Act was going to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. The act was appealed about a year after it was passed. As a result of this Act, items including colonial commercial and legal papers, newspapers, pamphlets, cards, almanacs, and dice were taxed. The colonels greatly opposed this act; "No taxation without representation". -
Boston Massacre
A squad of British soldeirs were stationed to keep gaurd but were then pressed by a wild crowd. The soldiers then let out shots. During this massacre three colonists were killed immediately, and then two more passed away due to wounds. The Townshend Acts were being enforced constantly which led to this attack. -
Boston Tea Party
This event took place in Massachusetts. The group involved were Massachusetts Patriots. They were protesting the monopoly of the American tea importation. The Patriots took 342 chests of tea from three ships and threw them into the harbor. England did not take this well. They saw this as resistance to British rule. So England created the Coercive Acts to punish the colonies, especially Boston. -
Intolerable Acts
The image depicts a patriot cartoon showing the acts as the rape of a woman.The intolerable acts were passed by the British because they had been angered by the Boston Tea Party and wanted to reimpose strict british control. The Acts were made up of 4 measures that had been taken. These were the Boston Port Bill, Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, Quartering Act, and the Quebec Act. The Intolerable Acts were also called the Coercive Acts. These acts were petitioned by the Quakers by asking King George to end or repeal them. -
First Continental Congress
This congress served as the government of the thirteen colonies. Key members included John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton. Samuel Adams, and John Jay. The members were trying to organize colonial resistance to England's Coercive Acts. They also formulated the Declaration of Rights and Articles of Association. This meeting took place in Philadelphia. -
Lexington and Concord
The image shows a painting of the Battle of Lexington. The following link gives a detailed description of the events that lead to lexington and concord, and the eventsthat happened during and after it. Battles of Lexington and ConcordThe result of Lexington and Concord was the start of the American Revolution. The major generals involved were General Percy, Gage, Smith, Barrett, Parker, and Heath. Paul Revere rode to Lexington to warn the colonists that the British were coming. No one knows who fired the first shot of these battles at Lexington. The British were sometimes called the red coats or regulars, while the Americans were sometimes called the Minutemen. In the end, the British were the ones to retrieve from Concord. -
Second Continental Congress
The image shows a meeting of the Congress. This took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the main things Congress discussed was the the the establishment of the Continental Army, appointing George Washington as its leader, Not only that, they tried to plead with George III for peaceful resolution with the Olive Branch Petition. Delegates including Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, and George Washington from the 13 colonies were part of the Congress. At the end, the Declaration of Independence was written. -
Declaration of Independence
The image shows acorner of the original Declaration of Independence. In the following link, a more detailed description with the specifications of the declaration are shown. United States Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was established during the Second Continental Congress. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson,John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. With this, the 13 colonies were now separate from Great Britain and the Declaration explained the reasoning for why this was wanted. The US now celebrates Independence Day because of this. 56 delegates from the Second Continental Congress signed this Declaration, John Hancock's being the most famous signature on it. -
Articles of Confederation
These lasted until 1787. This was the first constitution for the United States. It was later replaced by the current constitution because of the many flaws in it. John Hanson was the first president under the Articles of Confederation. The drafting of the Articles of Confederation had begun in 1776. In 1777, an approved version was sent to the states for ratification. However, the formal ratification was not completed until 1781. -
The Treaty of Paris
The image depicts the singing of the treaty. Representatives that were present are shown.The following video link explains details and the importance of the Treat of Paris. The Treaty of ParisDuring its signing, the United States was represented by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay. Canada, Spanish Florida, the Mississippi River, and the Atlantic Ocean became the new boundaries for the United States. The Declaration of Independence was finally recognized by the British. With the Treaty of Paris, the American Revolution finally ended. During the signing, Great Britain was on one side and the USA, France, and Spain were on the other. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
At the Annapolis Convention, delegates met to lobby for change and improvements for the Articles of Confederation and sent out invitations to send delegates to do this. The original purpose of the convention had been to amend the Articles of Confederation because there were many flaws in it. Initally, Rhode Island was the only state that refused the invitation and boycotted the convention. Eventually, the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation had been discarded.
