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a document signed by King John in 1215 granting rights to the people of England. Meant to limit the power of the Crown. -
Charles I signed a contract in 1628 that further reduced the Crown's power. It attacked the concept of divine right. Rights included freedom from unjust detention or punishment, freedom from martial law during a period of peace, and freedom from taxation without Parliament's permission.
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written up in 1689 to prevent the abuse of power at the end of England's Glorious Revolution, when William and Mary of Orange were offered the kingdom. The English Bill of Rights outlawed a standing army during peacetime, declared that all English citizens had the right to petition the monarch, mandated free parliamentary elections, and included rights found in the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right.
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A delegation from each of the thirteen colonies (excluding Georgia) gathered in Philadelphia to assess the situation with England and decide how to respond. They sent a Declaration of Rights to King George III, protesting the harsh laws that had been placed on them. They urged the colonies to halt all trade with Britain until things improve.
Lasted until May 10, 1775 -
The conflict was fought primarily between England and the American colonies. The war began at Lexington and Concord, after Britain repeatedly failed to listen to the colonists' protests over the strict laws imposed on them. On the American side, it was controlled by the Second Continental Congress, followed by a Congress under the Articles of Confederation. It was finalized by the Treaty of Paris.
Lasted until September 13, 1783 -
Delegates from each of the thirteen colonies convened in Philadelphia to form our nation's first government. This council appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief. The Second Continental Congress operated as a government from the signing of the Declaration of Independence until the Articles of Confederation were implemented, recruiting troops, establishing treaties, and purchasing supplies throughout the war.
Lasted until March 6, 1781 -
This proclamation declared America's independence from Britain roughly a year after the Revolutionary War began. Following the signing of this agreement, the United States of America became an established country of independent states. -
The earliest governing structure in the United States. Work on this document began immediately following the Declaration of Independence, but it was not adopted on March 1, 1781. -
met to examine and resolve the difficulties identified in the Articles of Confederation. Lasted until September 23, 1787. -
After several compromises, 39 of the 41 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the contemporary Constitution into law.