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Period: Feb 20, 1200 to
Historical Events
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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
This document was created and forced on to King John of England to help limit his powers. By signing this document he accepted that no freeman could be punished except through the law of the land. That law is still in effect today. -
Jamestown settled
Jamestown was the first English settled colony on North America. It was founded for the purpose of mining gold and getting a foot down on new land for England. The journey from England to the New Land took the voyagers approximately five months. -
Mayflower Compact written
The Mayflower Compact was based on the rule of majority and the colonists loyalty to the king. Basically, it was a social contract in which the settlers agreed to follow the rules made for the sake of surviving on new land. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was created by the English Parliament to also place limits on the kings power. This document stated that taxes may only be levied by Parliament, martial law cannot be used in time of pease, and prisoners can question their punishments via habeas corpus. -
English Bill of Rights
This document sets limits on the power of sovereign and sets rules for Parliament and also rules for freedom of speech in Parliament. One of the most important things in this bill is the right to petition the monarch without being retributed. -
Albany Plan of Union
This plan was sought out by Ben Franklin and the Albany Congress in New York. It was the early attempt to form a union of the colonies for defensive purposes during the French and Indian War. -
Stamp Act
This act was a direct act of the British Parliament to be placed on British America. It stated that many printed documents be done on stamped paper from London. The documents included legal documents, magazines, papers, and other types of paper used in the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
This intense event was brought on by the heavy amount of British military in the colonies. The tension built up so much that it broke out in riot and battle between the redcoats and settlers. Only 5 people were killed in the "massacre" but it sparked more tension between the new colonies and the British. -
Boston Tea Party
When Boston colonists refused to return shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, angry colonists boarded the ships and dumped all of the tea into the Boston Harbor. The Tea Party was a part of a huge growth in the American Revolution. -
Intolerable Acts
These acts are also known as the Coercive Acts. They triggered outrage in the 13 colonies, soon to be the United States. These acts were very important in the growth of the American Revolution. -
First Continental Congress
This group of men met and formed because of the Intolerable Acts placed on Boston as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They came up with the options of boycotting British trade a sending a petition against the King and the Intolerable Acts, which failed. -
American Revolution begins
This event is what formed the United States. The 13 colonies came together to gain independance from the British Empire. This battle was because of a large series of events known as the American Enlightenment. The war ended with an American victory in 1781. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress managed the war efforts of the colonies and moved toward independance by adopting the Declaration of Independance in 1776. This group of men were temporarily the government body in the beginning stages of the United States. -
Declaration of Independance
This document primarily written by Thomas Jefferson stated that the 13 colonies that were then at war with Britain, were now independant states and were no longer part of the British Empire. It was adopted by Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. -
Articles of Confederation
This article was the first constitution of the new United States and stated how the government was supposed to operate. This document was first written by the Second Continental Congess and then was replaced by the United States Constitution in 1789. -
Shays Rebellion
This rebellion was named after American Revolution veteran Daniel Shays and it was an armed battle that took place in Massachusetts. This battle brought out fears of Americans that things had gotten out of hand after the American Revolution. -
Connecticut Compromise
This compromise is also known as the Great Compromise of 1787. It was an agreement between the large and small states of how the legislative structure and representation would take place. It resulted in a bicameral legislature, meaning Senate and House of Representatives. -
Philadelphia Convention
Also known as the Constitutional Convention. The outcome of this meeting was the United States Constitution. -
Constitution Convention
This convention is also known as the Philadelphia Convention. The purpose of this meeting was to change the Articles of Confederation to cope with problems within the states. But James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wanted to set out to create a new government rather than fix the old one.
