-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Magna Carta was a peace treaty created by King John of England in 1215. This was the first written constitution of European history. -
Jamestown Settled
English men arrived in North America and settled in Jamestown, Virginia, which got its name from King James I. Jamestown was the first official English settlement in North America. -
Mayflower Compact written
The Mayflower Contract was originally written in 1620 by the passengers of the Mayflower. It was created to bind the Pilgrims together as they arrived in New Plymouth. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is similar to the Magna Carta, and is a constitutional agreement between the British, setting protection against the state. It was written by Sir Edward Coke and ratified June 7, 1628. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was signed into law in 1689 by William III and Mary II. The bill was created in order to define the civil rights, give Parliament power, and clarify who will inherit the crown in the monarchy. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan suggested by Benjamin Franklin and a delegate from Pennsylvania at the Albany congress in order to create a centralized government between the 13 colonies in 1754. The plan was rejected by King George II. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was Great Britain's Parliament imposing a direct tax on the colonies. They required all printed documents to include a tax stamp, which the colonists had to pay the tax in order to receive. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre took place in 1770 when a group of American colonists began to attack a British soldier. The event escalated quickly when a group of British Soldiers came and began to shoot the Americans, killing five of them. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest in Boston Massachusetts in 1773. American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor because they were angered at the British for putting "taxation without representation" into place. This eventually led to the Revolutionary War. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws created by the British Parliament in 1774. The laws were put in place to punish the protesters who participated in the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress consisted of 12 of the 13 British colonies, which soon became the United States. Except for Georgia, every colony met in Philadelphia to create a unified agreement. -
American Revolution Begins
The American Revolution began in 1775 with "the shot heard round the world." The British and the colonists began fire at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The general reason of the war was the British wanted power over the states. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress included all thirteen colonies, and was America's first try to self-govern, occurring on May 10, 1775. This sparked the American revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776. The purpose of the document was to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and announce a new independent country. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was written on November 15, 1777 in order to create an agreement between the thirteen original colonies. This document was the first constitution and was in effect from 1781 until 1789. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion took place in Massachusetts, beginning on August 31st, 1786. It was a series of armed attacks on courthouses and government buildings as a result of the state government increasing taxes on individuals and their trades. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention occurred from May 25- September 17, 1787 in the old Philadelphia State House. The convention was held to agree on a way to govern America and to revise the existing Articles of Confederation. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise was the decision small and large American colonies agreed on in 1787. The compromise helped to form a legislative structure and state representation.
