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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta document limited the king of England's power. His barons wanted to limit his authority and establish a few basic rights for English citizens -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was a document created by the English Parliament to limit some of the power of the king. The document allowed for prisoners to have the writ of habeas corpus. This enabled prisoners to come before a judge in a fair trial. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights further restricted the power of royal authority and gave Parliament more freedom. For example, the document allowed Parliament to have freedom of speech and the freedom of petition. -
New Jersey Plan
A proposal for the structure of the United States Government proposed by William Paterson at the Constitutional Convention on June 15, 1787 -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan 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 "under one government as far as might be necessary for defense and other general important purposes" during the French and Indian War. -
Boston Massacare
The Boston Massacre, also known as the Boston riot, was an incident that led to the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British redcoats on March 5, 1770, the legal aftermath of which helped spark the rebellion in some of the British American colonies, which culminated in the American Revolutionary War. -
The Boston Tea Party
Three British ships in Boston harbor and dumped hundreds of chests of tea into the harbor; organized as a protest against taxes on tea. -
First Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun -
The Decleration of Independence
The document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress asserting the independence of the Colonies from Great Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. The need for a stronger Federal government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. -
Shay's Rebellion
An armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts mainly Springfield from 1786 to 1787.The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolution who led the rebels, known as "Shaysites" or "Regulators. -
Philadelphia Convention
The United States Constitutional Convention took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America. -
Virginia Plan
The Randolph Plan after its sponsor, or the Large-State Plan was a proposal by Virginia delegates, drafted by James Madison while he waited for a quorum to assemble at the Constitutional Convention of 1787
