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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is short for Magna Carta Libertatum and is a royal charter of rights. The rights were agreed on by the king at that time and he was King John of England. The first time the rights were put out into the public they were unsuccessful. The Magna Carta is one of the most famous documents in the world. The legacy is the most clearly reflected in the Bill of Rights. -
Mayflower Contract
A written agreement decided upon by the men on the Mayflower. They established the rules they would abide by until they had established a government. The biggest idea that the Mayflower Compact pushed was self-government. The idea that law would be made by and for the people, which would be inducted into the preamble of the Constitution. -
Fundamental orders of Connecticut
This document was written to outline eleven orders to improve the Massachusetts government. Ideas presented in this document include limiting governors time in office, and giving the judicial branch administration authority to give land and enforce laws. General court was given power and no religious test was required for voting. This document gave inspiration to the American constitution. Religious freedom, judicial power, and limited time in office are all things in the US constitution. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was passed by William III and Mary II. It gave constitutional and civil right, and gave the parliament power over the monarch. The two monarchs signed the bill so that they would be allowed to take the throne. Freedoms given in the English Bill of Rights would later be added to the US Constitution such as the freedom to petition, and the freedom of speech, found in the very first amendment. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is also known as the seven year war. It was a fight between Great Britain and the French over the Native American land. They fought for the territory each with various Native American tribes helping by fighting with them or getting them supplies. This war helped lead to the independence in America. The Declaration of Independence broke all bonds with Great Britain and helped to gain America's Independence. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was the plan to put the British North American colonies under a more centralized government and bring them all together. The Albany Plan of Union was never executed. It was never executed because the colonies didn't want to lose their self government. Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union then after it was suggested by a senior leader and a delegate from Pennsylvania. It affected the Constitution by allowing the legislature the power to tax. -
The Acts
The Acts are laws or statutes that are passed by the legislature and they have to be followed by the US congress. A bill has to go through several steps to become a Act. For a bill to become an act it has to pass through both houses with the majority of votes. Then it has to be signed into the law by the president of the United States or get a congressional override against a presidential veto. Some of the acts like the sugar or tea acts added taxes to items which later had to be corrected. -
The intolerable acts
A set of restricting laws passed by British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. The sole purpose of the laws were to punish the colonists for defying them. Several amendments are set to prevent laws like the intolerable acts. Specifically the third amendment which makes it illegal to require people to quarter troops, and allow them to stay in their own homes. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress took place to decide what to do about the intolerable acts. They organized an economic boycott of British trade, and issue a list of grievances to the king. Unfortunately it was not effective and was ignored. It would draft the articles of confederation which was the united states first constitution, which would be used as a reference for the US Constitution. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, and wrote the articles of confederation. They had delegates representing every one of the colonies. They also decided whether or not they were going to declare war with Britain. This was when we truly became an independent nation. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration that America would break away from Britain. Gave ideas like all men are created equal, governments only work with the consent of the people, and inhalable rights of the people including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in its preamble. Also declaiming that people have the right to declare their own government. Rights of people was used in the constitution. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution for the US. It was a written document that established functions for the government. This document was established after the US declared independence from Great Britain. The Articles of Confederation did have some issues though. It only allowed one vote per state regardless of size and population, congress didn't have the power to tax, there was no national court system, and several more. -
Shay's Rebellion
An uprising in Massachusetts over the high taxation. The people were constantly attacking the courts to keep any work from getting done. They were effectively wasting the courts time. This influenced the constitution because this event is what made the leaders realize they needed to have a constitutional convention. -
Virginia Plan
The Virginia Plan, purposed by James Madison, outlined the three branches of government, legislative, executive, and judicial. While many other things where included in this document, that was by far the most important, and the most influential to the constitution. Influencing the first three articles of the constitution, each one tackling a different branch of government. -
Three-Fifths Compromise
This was a middle ground compromise between the slave holding south and the north. It determined that slaves counted as 3/5 of a person. This impacted slaveholders taxes and there representation in legislation. States could also prohibit slave trade while national government could not. The power of states to ratify laws and decide things that national government could not is and important part of our constitution, and this compromise could be the soul inspiration for it. -
New Jersey Plan
William Paterson made the New Jersey Plan. It was proposed at a Constitutional Convention. He made the plan to create a one-house legislature. In this one-house there would be equal voting between the states and a controlled election. This plan would be the form of government that would be put in place under the Articles of Confederation.
