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Magna Carta
It was a European document that American colonists used as a model for writing the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. At the time, the charter mainly benefited the higher classes at the time, before lower classes had a place in their government. -
Jamestown Settled
One hundred European mean traveled to what is now known as America to start a new settlement. Their boat ended up on the banks of James River, hence the name Jamestown. After famine and starvation took out some of their population, almost taking out their civilization. After more supplies and settlers arrived in 1610 though, the New World was on its way to become America in the coming decades. -
Mayflower Compact Written
The Mayflower was a ship that brought 102 passengers over to the New World, who had signed a contract with the Virginia Company. They did not end up in Virginia though, but near Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Therefore, the settlers wrote the Mayflower Compact to give them a temporary set of rules to live by, so things wouldn't get chaotic. -
Petition of Right
This petition was made by the American colonists to send to British King Charles I. The goal of it was to make the British stop taxing the colonists, arresting them for no reason, no quartering in houses by soldiers, and a limitation of military involvement during times of peace. This was one of many ways the colonists tried to end government ties with the British government so they could become their own independent land. -
English Bill of Rights
This document was written by William III and Mary II after King James II was overthrown. It gave Parliament power over the British monarchy through constitutional rights. It was part of the inspiration the American colonists had later on when creating their own Bill of Rights. -
Albany Plan of Union
This plan was introduced by Benjamin Franklin in front of the Albany Congress. The point was to set out a plan for an organized government for the 13 colonies at the time. This would eventually allow the colonies to unite into one main government, which would essential to colonize America. -
Stamp Act
The British put this tax on the colonists in order to help Britain pay off some of its debts. This tax applied to all paper products on the new land. Because the colonists thought the British putting a tax on them was unconstitutional, it lead to violence and protests. -
Boston Massacre
During this time in history, Boston occupied British soldiers among the thousands of colonists. The British soldiers were there to enforce tax laws, but the colonists rebelled against them. Eventually, the British had enough of the colonists' insults, and one of them ended up hitting a colonist with his bayonet. This act of assault started a break out of fighting and open fire, killing a few colonists. This act of violence was one that promoted the colonists to keep fighting the British. -
Boston Tea Party
The raid that occurred this day involved colonists dumping large amounts of British tea off of three ships full of it. This act was taken out as a form of protest from the colonists because they didn't like what the British Parliament had done by passing the Tea Act. Colonists were trying to get away from the British government rule, but the British were still trying to get money from them through taxes. -
Intolerable Acts
These were the laws put into place by the British government after the colonists carried out the acts of Boston Tea Party. This was meant as a punishment to the colonists, but the colonists still didn't want the British Parliament to have rule over them. -
First Continental Congress
Several political figures were a part of America's First Continental Congress. The first time they met, it was in relations to the Coercive Acts that the British put into place after the new tax laws were given to the colonists. The result of the delegates meeting was the writing of a Declaration of Rights, which said that America would be loyal to the British, but they weren't allowed to enforce tax laws on them. -
American Revolution Begins
After tension between American colonists and British troops had been going on for awhile, a British mission into Lexington turned into a battle that ignited the Revolutionary War. By the end of the battle, about 10 Americans were injured or dead, and 1 British troop had been injured. The Americans had been preparing armed forces against the British for awhile, so they were reading to take action when the British arrived that night. -
Second Continental Congress
This second meeting took place a little after the war with the British began. Here, they also made George Washington the head of the Continental Army. Eventually, this Congress established the Declaration of Independence (1776), and began the governing of a country independent from Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
This was the formal document created by the American colonists that stated that they had the right to make their own government. It was a long time coming after the British and Americans had been fighting for awhile in the Revolutionary War. The statement was signed by major political leaders in the Continental Congress, including Thomas Jefferson. -
Articles of Confederation
The United States of America's first constitution. It was written in 1777, but wasn't put into action until 1781 after ratification. Its main purpose was to keep America's independence and the ability to rule itself. -
Shay's Rebellion
Refers to the several acts of violence towards government buildings started by farmer Daniel Shays. He was a veteran soldier of the Revolutionary War who was struggling financially. Since farmers weren't being paid fairly, a rebellion was led in order to protest for better compensations. -
Philadelphia Convention
This was the meeting where the United States Constitution was written. Delegates from each of the states at the time met in Philadelphia Pennsylvania's State House to amend/rewrite the Articles of Confederation. -
Connecticut Compromise
This was plan made in order to solve the issue of how much representation smaller and larger states got in the newly established Senate. The final "compromise" was that each state would get a number of seats in the H of R based on their states' population. In the Senate though, each state got the same number of seats.
