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Jan 1, 1215
Magna carta
King John signed it at Runnymede England. It provided protection against unjust punishment and the loss of life, liberty, and property according to law, and taxes could not be levied without popular consent. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony, this image shows the signing of the Document. The Mayflower Compact was an attempt to establish a temporary, legally-binding form of self-government until such time as the Company could get formal permission from the Council of New England. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Right is a major English constitutional document that set out liberties to the poeple, signed by the House of Commons and House of Lords .It stated, no freeman should be forced to pay any tax, loan, or benevolence, unless in accordance with an act of parliament; that no freeman should be imprisoned contrary to the laws of the land; that soldiers and sailors should not be billeted on private persons; commissions to punish soldiers and sailors by martial law should be abolished. -
English Bill of Rights
King William III was involved in the signing. Certain freedoms was given to the people such as restored England to Roman Catholicism and it put a wall between the state and the church. The image shows the signing of the Bill. -
Albany Plan of Union
Ben Franklin had proposed this plan, tho it never went into action. The famous cartoon that was associated with this showed a snake that was cut into 13 pieces, and said "join or die", Ben Franklin created this image. It was how Ben Franklin portrayed his reason for united colonies. -
French and Indian War
French and Inidan War (Link to a website that can teach overall stats and event) Fought between the french and Indians againts the British, and lasted for 9 years. Major battels included, Battle for Quebec, Lake George, Fort Ticonderoga, and Montreal. In the end, the British were victories. After this event, the colonies no longer needed protection, so they became more independent. This image is a idea of the setting for the war. -
King George III takes power
American colonists no longer needed protection from the british, and the colonists created taxes for war debt, Stap Act, Tea Act, Sugar Act, Molasses Act, and Interable Acts. -
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre Video (Link to a video cantaining core facts about the time leading up to and during the Boston Massacre) A total of five colonists were killed, the townshend acts were enforced and led to this massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party (Link to a website that will give overall meaning and importance of the Tea Party)
The Sons of liberty oranized the Boston Tea Party in 1773, the brititsh response to this were the Intolerable Acts of 1774, The british responsed by closing ports and destroyed the Massachusetts government. Picture shows people of Boston witnessing the tea being dumped into the harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
Boston Tea Party 1773, Britain wanted to punish them for destroying the tea. The provisions were the British closed all of Boston's Ports until the colonist's payed for the tea they destroyed during the Boston Tea Party. British restricted colonist to have government/committees/town meetings. British allowed them selves to house troops where ever, when ever, in the colonist's homes.They let British officials accused of crimes stand trial in Britain. Image of Boston Tea Party, cause of acts. -
Second Continental Congress
This took place at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the United States Declaration of Independence
The colonial leaders involved Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and John Hancock of Massachusetts. Picture shows the congress in Phliadelphia. -
First Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, PA and included many delegates from all the colonies except Georgia. Colo. George Washington aso attended. The result of this congress was a boycott of Britis goods, and it also created a second Continental Congress. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was made up of two battles that began on April 18th, 1775. British troops were sent to Concord to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, but both men had been warned about the British attack. The night of April 18th, Paul Revere rode through Concord warning everybody about the British attack so the Minutemen, Americans who were"ready to fight in a minute," were waiting to attack at Lexington. Picture is of the battles -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence said that the American colonies were independent from Great Britain. We know Thomas Jefferson as the true author, the Second Continental Congress initially appointed five people to draw up a declaration. The committee included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. The three major parts of the Declaration are the Preamble,the list of grievances, and finally the concslusion paragraph. -
Articles of Confederation
John Hanson was the first president to serve under the Articles. Some pros of the Articles were, it created the The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States, It set the stage for the Constitution and was an adequate temporary government. Although it had cons as well, the central government could not regulate trade, no executive or judiciary branch, the government could also not make sure states paid taxes. -
Treaty of Paris
Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and John Adams represented the US in the Treaty. The US would be bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Mississippi River on the west, Florida on the south, and Canada and the Great Lakes on the north. Spain retained control of Florida, and the United States was permitted use of the Mississippi River. The british also had to recognize US independence, and the Declaration of Independence. Picture shows the negotiations in Paris. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
A drafting of the resolution for a constitutional convention, and in doing so brought a longtime desire to have a more powerful, more financially independent federal government one step closer to reality. The original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to amend the Articles of Confederation, the rules for the United States' first independent government.
