timeline of events

  • 1215

    Magna Carta

    Magna Carta
    moved from rule of man to rule of law
    outlined individual rights which king could not violate
    included the taxation and trail provisions
  • jamestowns house of burgesses

    jamestowns house of burgesses
  • mayflower compact

    mayflower compact
    each charter guaranteed colonists the "right of Englishmen"
  • king charles required to sign the petition or right

    king charles required to sign the petition or right
    required monarchs to obtain parliamentary approval before new taxes
    government could not unlawfully imprison people or establish military rule during times of peace
  • extended conflict between Charles and parliament erupted into civil war

    extended conflict between Charles and parliament erupted into civil war
    Charles defeated, beheaded
  • renewed conflicts and rebellion between the crown and parliament

    renewed conflicts and rebellion between the crown and parliament
  • william and mary chosen to rule, but had to govern according to statues of parliament

    william and mary chosen to rule, but had to govern according to statues of parliament
  • English bills of rights

    English bills of rights
    guaranteed free speech and protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
    the glorious revolution established constitutional monarchy.
  • sugar act

    sugar act
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre
    British soldiers fired into crowd
    5 colonists died
  • Boston tea party

    Boston tea party
    revolutionaries dumped British tea into the harbor
  • intolerable acts

    intolerable acts
    colonists were forced to "quarter," or house, British troops
  • Declaration of independence

    Declaration of independence
    likely drawn from Virginia declaration of rights and inspired by john locke
    Blamed the king for a variety of issues in the colonies
    signed by the delegates to the second continental congress on August 2, 1776
  • articles of confederation

    articles of confederation
    delegates aimed to have a confederation in which colonies kept their "sovereignty, freedom, and independence."
    ratification delayed by argument over who would control western lands
    small states refused to ratify until they granted the entire confederation control over the lands
  • stamp act

    stamp act
    first direct tax on paper goods and legal documents
    stamp act congress met to protest the tax and it was repealed
  • northwest ordinance

    northwest ordinance
    established a plan for setting for northwest territory
    included disputed lands
    created system for admitting states to the union
    banned slavery in the territory
    guided nations western expansion
  • the constitutional convention

    the constitutional convention
    drafting a new constitution
    framers
    delegates to the constitutional convention
    james madison
    father of the constitution
  • Shay's Rebellion

    Shay's Rebellion
    Massachusetts farmers rebelled over prospect of losing land
    farmers attacked courthouses to keep judges from for closing on farms
    stormed military arsenal
    congress had no money to help
    showed that the greatest weakness of the articles of the confederation was that they were incredibly weak.
  • judiciary act

    judiciary act
    established a three tiered judicial structure
    1. district courts
    2. circuit courts
    3. supreme court
  • federalist paper gazette of the united states published

    federalist paper gazette of the united states published
  • dual federalism

    dual federalism
    both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence.
    strict reading
    national government only had powers listed in construction
    (enumerated powers)
  • bill of right ratified

    bill of right ratified
    17 amendments passed since bill of rights
    constitution has provided a stable, flexible government
  • whigs countered with national Gazette

    whigs countered with national Gazette
  • Marybury v. Madison

    Marybury v. Madison
    power of judicial review
  • 12th amendment

    12th amendment
  • McCulloch v. Maryland

    McCulloch v. Maryland
    Maryland taxed the national bank
    court ruled bank was necessary and proper
  • Gibbons v. Ogden

    Gibbons v. Ogden
    right of a state legislature to award a monopoly to operate a steamship line between NY and NJ.
    court said only congress has the right to regulate commerce between states
  • seneca rights for women

    first national women's rights convention in the us
    called for equal eights in voting, education, and property
  • Dred Scott v. Sanford

    Dred Scott v. Sanford
    slave who sued for his family's freedom after being taken to free state
    court said that Scott, as an african-american and previously property, was not a citizens.
    gave him no legal standing to sue
    called the greatest disaster of the supreme court
  • Morrill act

    Morrill act
    granted large tracts of land to states; states sold land and used money for colleges
  • reconstruction through the end of the century.

    reconstruction through the end of the century.
    supreme court during this time narrowly interpreted the 13th-15th amendments.
  • Wyoming territory was the forst to grant women the right to grant women the right to vote

  • population of the us doubled between 1870 and 1916

    population of the us doubled between 1870 and 1916
  • susan B Authony refused to support the 15th amendment

  • barred entry to criminals

  • chinese exclusion act

    ended the Chinese immigration to the us
  • Chinese exclusion act

  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    Plessy v. Ferguson
    ruled segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal
    separated but equal doctrine
  • 17th amendment

    17th amendment
    direct election of senators
    six-year terms that are staggered on even years
    approx. 1/3 of senate up for election every other year
    prevents major changes in representation
  • 16th amendment

    16th amendment
    gave congress authority to set a federal income tax
    main source of us income
  • congress gave states authority to manage welfare systems with block grants

    congress gave states authority to manage welfare systems with block grants
  • radio became the first form of electronic media

    radio became the first form of electronic media
  • 19th amendment gave women the right to vote

  • N. Americans granted citizenship

    N. Americans granted citizenship
  • dual federalism

    dual federalism
    both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence
    strict reading
    national government only had powers listed in constitution
  • cooperative federalism

    cooperative federalism
    states and national governments worked together to deal with the great depression
    many cases about FDR's new deal reached the supreme court.
  • new federalism

    new federalism
    returned some authority to state governments
    Ronald Reagan believed state governments could better provide services to the people
  • the new deal era

    the new deal era
    the court saw Roosevelt's economic legislation as an assault on property rights
    ruled that some new deal programs violated the constitution.
  • Roosevelt served 12 years as president and packed the court with nominees that supported expansion of gov't power.

    Roosevelt served 12 years as president and packed the court with nominees that supported expansion of gov't power.
  • united states v miller

    ruled 2nd does not protect the rights to have all types of weapons
  • Minersville school district v Gobities

    the supreme court ruled that a child could be expelled for refusing to salute the American flag or recite the pledge
  • united states v. Darby

    united states v. Darby
    upheld fair labor standards act; commerce clause allows congress to regulate employment conditions
  • executive order 9066

    FDR required all people of Japanese descent on the west coast to report to war relocation centers
  • west Virginia state board of education v. Barnette

    the court reversed itself and decided unity was not a sufficient reason to overrule religious beliefs.
  • Korematsu v. the united states

    Korematsu v. the united states
    upheld involuntary internment of ethnically Japanese American citizens
  • cold war

    cold war
  • television replaced radio as most influential electronic media

    television replaced radio as most influential electronic media
  • brown v. board

    brown v. board
    ruled segregation is illegal
    separate is inherently unequal
  • motivated in part by brown v board

    ruled segregation was illegal
    separate is inherently unequal
  • great society

    great society
    government program to eliminate poverty and social inequality
    Johnson created creative federalism, which released national funds to achieve national goals
  • civil rights act

    empowered the federal government to actively engage in voter registration in places where voting discrimination had been found.
  • creative society

    creative society
    great society
    government program to eliminate poverty and social inequality
    Johnson created creative federalism, which released national funds to achieve national goals
  • equal pay act

  • Edwards v, south Carolina

    187 African American students gathered at the state capitol to protest racial injustice
    students did not end the protest when police told them to and were arrested
    court said that the state had no authority to disperse the students, as they were protesting legally
  • literacy tests outlawed with voting rights act

  • eliminated country-based quotas; preferred immigrants with certain job skills and relatives of us citizens

  • Miranda v. Arizona

    Miranda v. Arizona
    expanded rights of people accused of crimes
  • loving v. Virginia

    loving v. Virginia
    struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage
  • age discrimination in employment act

    protects applicants and employees of 40+ years old from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, privileges, etc. of employment.
  • tinker v. des monies

    tinker v. des monies
    schools couldn't prevent students from protesting the Vietnam war
  • De jure segregation ended in the 1970s

    segregation by order of law
  • new federalism

    new federalism
    returned some authority to state governments
    began in 1980s
    Ronald Reagan believed state governments could better provided services to the people
  • the cost of college

    has increased twice as much as inflation
  • Harlow v fizgerald

    established the rationale for qualified immunity
  • tennessee v garner

    limited police use of lethal force
  • Graham v Connor

    juries must consider if the officer believed force was reasonable
  • allowed 675,000 immigrants

    up to 1.8 million immigrants 2016
    allowed 30,000 refugees in 2019
    down from 85,000 in 2016
  • Americans with disabilities act

    prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
  • homeland security

    homeland security
  • district of Columbia v. heller

    district of Columbia v. heller
    ruled the 2nd amendment protects an individuals right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
  • D.C v. heller

    ruled 2nd amendment right to bear arms includes the right to self defense
  • McDonald v Chicago

    ruled 2nd amendments applies to federal, state, and local governments; upheld 2nd amendment
  • obergefell v. Hodges

    obergefell v. Hodges
    ruled states must grant and recognize same-sex marriage
    republican presidents have appointed most of the supreme court justices since1953.
  • the average cost had risen to 85,480