-
Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was the first article to give due rights of law to each individual. It stated the rights every person should have, and our constitution took many key points from this article. -
Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown was the first settlement by colonists in North America. It was founded in present day Virginia. -
Mayflower Compact
This was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. The seperatists boarded the ship, The Mayflower, and ventured to discover North America. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right set out basic liberties for the people that no one, not even the king, could prevent. Scholars often times see this is the beginning of Britain's modern constituional monarchy. -
English Bill of Rights
This was a bill passed by the English Parliament. It layed down rights such as limits on the sovereignity, a freedom of speech, the requirement for elections, the right to protest, and more. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was proposed in 1754 by Benjamin Franklin, but was rejected. It was the first attempt to unite all the colonies under one government. -
Stamp Act
This act placed rules saying certain material such as legal documents, magazines, and newspaper must be printed on paper produced in London with a stamp from Britain. This paper was taxed, which outraged the colonists. -
Boston Massacre
In Boston, British soldiers had been stationed to guard officials appointed by Britain who attempted to enforce a very unpopular parlamentary legislation. When colonists antagonized these soldiers, they fired into the crowd killing 5 men and injuring 6. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a polotical protest by the colonies towards the tax put on goods from Britain. When Britain demanded three ships of taxed tea to be returned, the colonists boarded the ships and began throwing the goods into the harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
These included a series of laws passed as Britain's retribution for the Boston Tea Party. In an outrage, the colonists began a struggle that eventually lead to the Revolutionary War and America becoming an independant country. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of indivduals from the first 13 colonies, besides Georgia, to decide what action to take on the Intolerable Acts placed on the colonies after the Boston Tea Party. They appealed the king, with no success, and a second continental congress was called. -
American Revolution
The American Revolution brought all 13 colonies together to break free from Britain. In the end, we found ourselves as a seperate country. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was established near the beginning of the Revolutionary Wars. The Second Continental was a huge step in making America independant, and eventually lead to the Declaration of Independance. -
Declaration of Independence
This article announced the 13 colonies were independant from Britain and their rule. This is a huge document in American history, as we became an independant country through it. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were America's first form of a constiution. It was an agreement of the 13 original colonies, stating they would be a confederation of sovereign states. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a rebillion by colonists, many being war veterans, who sought reform in the government due to economic problems. The rebellion was crushed, but brought up the idea of a new constituion. -
Philedelphia Convention
Also known as the Constitutional Convention, this was held to fix the problems in America while under the Articles of Confederation. In the end, the U.S. Constition was established through this convention. -
Connecticut Compromise
This compromise helped decide on issues of representation for congress. It was the beginning of the Senate and House of Representatives.
