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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was the first document to limit the power of the King. It was signed by King John in a meadow at Runnymede in South England. The document made the Church to be free from royal interference. It also gave the right to due process of law. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was signed by 41 male passengers on the Mayflower. It was the first framework of government established in what is now the United States. It was drafted to prevent the dissent amongst Puritans and non-separatist Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth a few days earlier. -
Petition of Rights
Petition of RightsThe Petition of Right was signed by King Charles I of England. It granted habeus corpus, that no soldiers will be quartered in a time of peace, and that there will not be martial law in a time of peace. This influenced the United States Bill of Rights. -
English Bill of Rights
English Bill of Rights King William and Queen Mary II signed the document that limited the sovereign and gave every man rights. The rights include the right ot petition, bear arms, and freedom of speech in Parliament. -
Albany Plan of the Union
The Albany Plan of the Union was written by Benjamin Franklin. It was written so that all 13 colonies to unite and fight united to win the French & Indian War. It was a political cartoon of the infamous "Join or Die" snake. The plan was never actually completed. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was fought between the French and British, each having alliances with varying Indian tribes. Some major battles were Fort Necessity, Fort Ticonderoga, Battle of Montreal, and Battle of Quebec. The British eventually won, but only after amassing astounding debt. In order to make up for the debt the British began to tax the colonists, which led to hostilities. -
King George III Takes Power
When the King took control of Great Britain in 1760, the colonies were emersed in the French and Indian War. When in power, he sent a lot of troops to the colonies. As a result, he raised taxes heavily in the colonies to make up for the cost of the military. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was put in place by the British in order to help pay for the French and Indian War. The act placed taxes on legal documents, newspaper, letters, cards, and dice in the colonies. The colonial leaders created the Stamp Act Congress in New York to petition King George III for the cancellation of the act. -
Boston Massacre
The massacre occurred after protesters began to throw snowballs with rocks in them at the British soldiers. The colonists were protestinig the Townshend Acts being enforced by the British. The soldiers fired into the crowd and killed 5 colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a major display of opposition to the crown and its unreasonable tax on tea. It was organized by the Sons of Liberty, and the members dressed as Indians to disguise their identities. They threw around 350 crates of tea into Boston harbor over the course of three hours. The king was furious and demanded that the colonists would pay for the tea destroyed. In addition he closed Boston harbor until it was paid for. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a collection of acts meant to punish the colonies for their disobedience toward the crown, namely the Boston Tea Party. It closed Boston harbor to everything but British ships. In addtion, the colonists were forced to quarter soldiers if they asked. Finally, it stated that there could be no more self-government in Boston. This led to more hostility to the British. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress took place in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. The majior players were Peyton Randolph, Charles Thomson, and Patrick Henry. There the delegates signed an agreement for the boycott of British goods in the colonies. It also stated that another congress would meet again in about a year to discuss issues. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first battle of the Revolutionary War in which the Americans first engaged the British. The British designed the plan under General Gage, but was executed by Col. Francis Smith. The minutemen were alerted of the British force by Paul Revere. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to discuss plans of independence. It was led by Ben Franklin, Jon Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock. The Congress decided to allow the printing of American money, and it created a committee to deal with foreign affairs. It eventually led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence. It was essentially the formal beginning of our country. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence VideoThe Declaration of Independence was the first document to say that all men are created equal. It separated us from Great Britain and established our independence. It was also a 28-count indictment to King George for his tyranny over the colonies. It was contested heavily but eventually it led to us formally going to war for our freedom. Today, it is still regarded as the most fundemental piece of our government along with the Constitution. -
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Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was adopted by Congress after the war with Britain as the first form of government in the United States. The first president under the Articles was John Hanson. The Articles were called for a loose confederation amongst the States, but many problems were caused with absense of a common form or law and money. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was the formal end to the Revolutionary War. The United States were represented by Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and John Adams. The British finally recognized the Declaration of Independence, and the United States received the land east of the Mississippi River. It also established the boundary with British Canada along the 49th Paralell. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was initiated by the Annapolis Convention, which called for revision of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles were said to be too weak and needed to be changed. The convention eventually led to the creation of the Constitution we know today.
