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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
King John signed the Magna Carta in England. The people forced King John to sign it. This was the first time in history the King was forced to sign something. This document gave the people the right to only be punished under the law. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was signed on the Mayflower, on the Pilgram's journey to America. It was the first form of governament in America. This was drafted in order to prevent dissent amoungst the Pilgrams. 41 people signed the Mayflower Compact. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights was a reminder to King Charles I that the Magna Carta stated that he could not be a dictator. The rights that the Petition of Rights granted were protection from unjust taking of property or imprisonment, the right to trial by jury, and protection from unjust punishments or excessive fines. Sir Edward Coke was the man that wrote the petition and presented it to King Charles I. -
English Bill of Rights
King William and Mary were involved in signing the English Bill of Rights. This protects against unlawful taxes and inprisonments. -
French and Indian War
Seven Years' War Link
Britain and France fought in the French and Indian War, also called the Seven Years' War. The war lasted from 1754-1763, for 7 years. On May 28th, 1754, the first battle took place. Washington beat the British by utilizing a sneak attack. The British ultimately won this conflict. -
Albany Plan of Union
Albany Plan of Union Text
This plan was an attemp at making the colonies have a more centralized government. Benjamin Franklin suggested this plan, for he was the first one to realize what conflict was about to occur. In the end, this plan did not work.The attached picture is the cartoon that is commonly associated with this plan. -
King George III Takes Power
King George III was the longest reigning monarch in Britain. King Geroge and Parliment decided that the colonies would have to pay for some of the war and also cover costs of keeping the British soldiers in North America. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. Legal doccuments, newspapers, playing cards, etc were all taxed because of this act. At first, the people thought that they could do nothing about the taxes. The Stamp Act Resolves were eventually adopted to prevent taxation on certain things. -
Boston Massacre
There was extreme tension between the American colonists and the British in Boston. The British solderis were in Boston to maintain order, however, the Americans saw them as a threat. A group of locals in Boston started to throw snowballs at Birtish soldiers, and the soldiers got mad. Even though they were under orders not to, the soldiers fired shots into the crowd and killed 5 people. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of Massachusetts Patriots threw 342 barrels of tea that they got from a tea raid into the harbor. In response to the tea party, the British closed off the ports and made the Intolerable Acts. -
First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress first met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All of the colonies at the time sent representatives, except for Georgia. They did not all agree on what should be done. A big topic of discussion was the Intolerable Acts. This first set of meetings did not have much results, so they had another meeting in order to accomplish things. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were in response to the Boston Tea Party. The British closed the Boston Harbor until they paid back the money for the destroyed tea. The Intolerable Acts limited the activities of the Massachusetts legislature and gave more power to the post of governor of Massachusetts. -
Lexington and Concord
Video
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Paul Revere was a spy for the militia men; he told them about British movement he saw while riding around on horseback. General Thomas Gage was the British Military Governor in Massachusetts, and he was ordered to destroy the military in Concord. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress took place in Independence Hall. The idea of the Continental Army came about at this. The Olive Branch petition was made during this meeting, which was a direct appeal to the king. John Adams was a radical that attended, and he was one that wanted complete seperation from Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
Video
The Declaration of Independence was the colony's first time stating that they were free from British rule. The document was voted on on July 2nd, but it was printed and signed on July 4th. This document is significant because of the final independence it declared for the colonies. -
Articales of Confederation
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. This stayed as the constitution until the day our present one was enacted. John Hanson was the first president under the articles. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
Delegates of the Constitutional Convention gathered together in Philidephia to begin a peaceful overthrow of the new American government. 55 delegates attended total, and Rhode Island was the only state to not be represented.
