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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Magna Carta Transcript (in English)The Magna Carta is an agreement signed by King John and the barons of England in Midieval England. The document was issued in order to limit the rights of the King. The people gained the right to being punished for a crime by the law of the land, rather than the will of the King. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower set up the rules and regulations for the Plymouth colony. It was the first governing document of the Plymouth colony. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights was a document signed by King Charles I and Parliament that granted basic rights to the citizens of England. These rights included no unfair taxes, no unjust imprisonments of people, and rules for the housing and punishment of soldiers/sailors. -
English BIll of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was signed by William, Mary, and parliament in 1689. It limits the power of the crown and created rules for parliament. The rules included free speech, frequent elections, the right to petition the monarch, and the right to own arms. -
French and Indian War
The major players in this conflict were France, Great Britian, and the Iroquois League. Some of the major battles of this war include the Battle of Fort Necessity, the Battle of River Monoghahela, the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga, the Battle of Quebec, and the Battle of Montreal. The British ultimately won this conflict. This event weakened our relationship with the British, because they eventually started taxing the colonists without representaion to pay for the war. -
King George III takes power
He put a standing army in the colonies. He taxed the coloniest to pay for the war, upsetting and angering the colonists. He forced them to comply with rules they had no say over. -
Stamp Act
Stamp ActThe items that were taxed as a result of this Act were legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, and contracts. The colonial leaders were not happy with this act. They boycotted all British goods and attempted to get representation in Parliament. -
Boston Massacre
During the Boston Massacre, fve colonists were shot and killed. The uprising came from Britian trying to raise taxes. The acts that led to this tragedy were the Stamp and Townshend acts. -
Boston Tea Party
Video on Boston Tea Party (Schoolhouse Rock)The sons of liberty were the political group that organized the Boston Tea Party. The British responded to the colonist uprising by passing the Intolerable Acts which closed Boston ports. -
Intolerable Acts
Following the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts to reprimand the colonists. The Acts destroyed the government of Massachusetts by punishing and restricting trade in the colonies. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany plan of union was suggested by Ben Franklin and it was never put into place. The popular poltical cartoon of a snake with the words "join or die" below it is associated with the Albany plan of Union. -
First Continental Congress
Some of the major people involved with the First st Continental Congress include John Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and George Washington. The boycott of British goods, and the set up of the Second Continential Congress were the result of this meeting. This meeting took place in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. -
Lexington and Concord
The skirmishes at Lexington and Concord were the fights that began the American Revolutionary War. General Gage was the most significant general involved in the skirmishes. Paul Revere was another important person who warned the rebels that the British were planning to attack. Due to his "midnight ride" the colonists, led by Sam Adams and John Hancock, were able to fight off the British. -
Decleration of Independence
Transcript of Decleration of IndependenceThis document created by the Continental Congress announced to the world that the American Colonies saw themselves as a free and independent country. Therefore, they were no longer under British rule. -
Articles of Confederation
This document was an agreement between the colonies to establish the new country as a confederation of sovereign states. Under the Articles of Confederation, John Hanson was designated as the first president of the United States. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The Constituional Convention was a gathering of representatives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The meeting resulted in the election of George Washington to the presidency, and the proposal of the the New Jersey and Virginia Plans.
