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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is a document that King John of England was forced into signing by his Barons on June 15, 1215. It greatly reduced the King's power and allowed for the development of a powerful parliament. The Magna Carta became the basis for English citizen's rights. -
Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown was founded in the Virginia Colony on May 14, 1607 and named after King James I of England. It was the first successful English settlement in North America. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was signed by 41 Pilgrims on November 21, 1620. The men agreed to form a temporary government and live under it's law. The Mayflower Compact became the basis of government in the Plymouth Colony. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was a list of demands sent to King Charles I by the Parliament of England in 1628. Its consisted of complaints of violations including forced loans, the unsanctioned collection of customs duties, the imposition of martial law and forced billeting of soldiers and mariners in private homes. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was presented to and signed by William III and Mary II by the Convention Parliament. It is "An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown". -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in 1754. It was an early attempt at uniting the colonies under one government The Albany Plan of Union was proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in 1754 in Albany, New York. It was an early attempt at forming a union of the colonies for defense and other general purposes. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the first direct Britsh tax on the American colonies. The money collected was used towards the cost of the war between Great Britain and France. -
Boston Massacre
A heavy British military presence led to a riot between British soldiers and American colonists which caused five deaths. This event led to the Revolutionary War. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was carried out by colonists who opposed the taxing of the British government and East India Company, which controlled all of the tea coming into the colonies, They protested by boarding the ships and throwing the tea overboard into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament to the thirteen colonies in response to the Boston Tea Party. Colonists viewed the acts as a violation of their rights and organized the First Continental Congress to develop a protest. -
First Continental Congress
Representatives from twelve of the thirteen colonies combined to make the First Continental Congress. They met at Carpenter's Hall in Philidelphia to discuss the British "Intolerable Acts." -
American Revolution begins
The American Revolution resulted from the political and social developments of America's independence, including the origins and aftermath of the war. It ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress meeting started with the battle of Lexington and Concord. They established the Continental Army and elected George Washington as Commander in Chief. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was adopoted by the Continental Congress. It stated that the thirteen colonies were individual states and no longer part of the British Empire. It is the reason we celebrate the fourth of July. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was created by the Continental Congress and ratified by the thirteen original colonies. It was the first constitution of the U.S. and legally united the states. -
Shay's Rebellion
Daniel Shay led New England farmers, who were desperate to be paid for the service in the Revolutionary War, on a revolt against a federal arsenal. Though the rebellion failed, it greatly influenced the future course of federal government. -
Constitution Convention
The Constitution Convention was held at the State House in Philadelphia. It was established for creating a new constitution or revising an existing one. -
Connecticut Compromise
The basic structure of the Senate and the House resulted from the Connecticut Compromise. It was developed between delegates from the larger states, who wanted representation in both houses of Congress according to population, and delegates from the smaller states, who wanted equal representation for each state. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention addressed problems in governing the United States. It was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, but other intentions involved creating a new government instead of fixing the existing one.
