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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
English charter originally issued and passed into law in 1215, and reissued and renamed later in the 13th century, about 1297. It attempted to limit King John of England's power by law and protect privileges. It eventually became a symbol that the King was bound by law. -
Jamestown settled
First permanent English settlement in North America. -
Mayflower Compact written
Pilgrims sign the compact. -
Petition of Right
Signed by Charles I. Limited the king's power. Demanded the king no longer imprison or otherwise punish any person but by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land. Said the king may not impose martial law, or military rule, in times of peace, or require homeowners to shelter the king's troops without their consent. It challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and declared that even a monarch must obey the law of the land. -
English Bill of Rights
This was created to help prevent abuse of power by monarchs. It prohibited a standing army in peacetime, except with the consent of Parliament, and required that all parliamentary elections be free. Guaranteed the right to a fair trial and freedom from excessive bail, and cruel and unusual punishment. -
Albany Plan of Union
Proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in Albany, New York. It was an early attempt to create a union of colonies under one government during the French and Indian War. It then became an inspiration in writing the Article of Confederation. -
Stamp Act
Required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements, and on newspapers. Had a significant number of colonies join together to oppose the British government on this act. It was then repealed, but frictions still mounted. -
Boston Massacre
Also known as the Boston riot. British troops in Boston fired on a jeering crowd. Five civilians died at the hands of British redcoats, and eleven injured. Began over complaints from a civilian. He was then struck by a redcoat from his musket, which attracted a larger crowd. -
Boston Tea Party
Act made against the British government and the East India Company that control tea being shipped, by colonists in Boston, Massachusetts. Officials refused to return three shiploads of tea, so colonists responded by boarding the ships and throwing the tea into the Boston Harbor. This was a major event in the growth of the American Revolution. Two years later, the American Revolutionary War began near Boston. -
Intolerable Acts
Punished colonists for the troubles in Boston and elsewhere. Prompted the First Continental Congress. -
First Continental Congress
Parliament passed another set of laws to punish colonists for the troubles in Boston and elsewhere, which then called for a meeting among colonies. Delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia. These members sent a Declaration of Rights, to protest Britain's colonial policies, to King George III. Urged a refusal to trade with England and enforced boycotts. The meeting adjourned October 26, 1774. -
American Revolution begins
The battles of Lexington and Concord initiate the Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
Became the nation's first national government for 5 years , but did not rest on a constitutional base. Condemned by the British as an unlawful assembly and a den of traitors. Supported by the force of public opinion and practical necessity. -
Declaration of Independence
Proclaimed the existence to a new nation. Proclaimed that “all men are created equal” and endowed with “certain unalienable rights”. Founded on the concept of “the consent of the governed” as the basis for the exercise of power. -
Articles of Confederation
This was the first constitution of the U.S. that specified how the Federal government should operate. Established “a firm league of friendship” among the States. -
Shay's Rebellion
Series of events in western Massachusetts that rebelled against the burdens of debt. -
Connecticut Compromise
Agreement during the Constitutional Convention that Congress should be composed of a Senate, in which States would be represented equally, and a House, in which representation would be based on a Senate's population. -
Constitutional Convention
Began as an assembly to revise the existing Articles of Confederation, then evolved into a meeting dedicated to the creation of a government whose power is derived from the constitution. -
Philadelphia Convention
Delegates known as the Framers of the Constitution attended to build a new government that could meet the needs of the nation.
