-
Jun 20, 1215
Magna Carta
King John signed the Magna Carta and it was signed at the water-meadow at Runnymede. It provided the basis for the principle of limited government where the power of the monarch or government was limited and not absolute. -
Mayflower Compact
The purpose of this document was that it stands as the first example of many colonial plans for self-government. Pilgrim leaders realized they needed rules to govern themselves if they were to survive in the new land. -
Petition of Rights
It stated that no taxes can be levied without the consent of Parliament, no subject can be imprisoned without cause shown, no soldiers may be quartered upon the citizenry, and martial law may not be used in time of peace. Charles I signed the petition.
A website on the Petition of Rights:
http://www.constitution.org/eng/petright.htm -
English Bill of Rights
Wiliam III, Mary II, and parliament were involved in the signing. It stated that monarchs didn't have absolute authority and rule with consent of the people's representatives in parliament. Also, the monarch must have parliament's consent to suspend laws, levy taxes, or maintain an army. Third, the monarch can't interfere with parliamentary debates. Fourth, the people have a right to petition government and have a fair trial by a jury. Last, people should not be subjected to cruel punishments. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposed this plan for uniting the colonies. It never happened because the colonies rejectied it. The popular political cartoon Join, or Die was associated with the suggested meeting and it was created by Benjamin Franklin. -
French and Indian War
The major players in this war were the French and Indians against the British and the colonies. Battles were fought around the Great Lakes and New England. The British won this war and also strengthened the colonies by removing their European rivals to the North and South and opening up the Mississippi Valley to Westward Expansion. -
King George III Takes Power
The king had different ideas on how the colonies should be governed. To help pay for the French and Indian war he levied taxes on tea, sugar, glass, paper, and other products. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act imposed the first direct tax on the colonists and it required them to pay a tax on legal documents, pamphlets, newspapers, and dice and playing cards. Also laws to control colonial trade in ways that benefited Great Britain and not the colonies. Protests and boycotting spread through the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
A total of 5 colonists died in the massacre which was brought on by the Townshend Acts and taxation.
A video of the Boston Massacre can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2WdZYEe8dg -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists dressed as Mohawk indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. In retaliation, Parliament passed the intolerable acts. -
Intolerable Acts
Parliament passed these acts in retaliation to the Boston Tea Party and everything else the colonists did. One of the acts closed the Boston Harbor while another withdrew the right of the Massachusetts colony to govern itself. -
First Continental Congress
Delegates from all of the colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia and some key colonial leaders were Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington. They imposed an imbargo on Britain and agreed not to use British goods. -
Second Continental Congress
Delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia and assumed the powers of a central government making John Hancock as president, voted to organize an army and navy and to issue money, and make George Washington commander of a newly organized Continental Army. -
Lexington and Concord
These conflicts started the shooting war between the British and the American Patriots. The British generals were Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne and Lord Percy and the militia was commanded by Barrett, Buttrick, Robinson and many others. Paul Revere's ride was serious business which was to warn a terrified populace that war was riding out to them and they needed to prepare for it. -
The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration. The three main parts are the beginning statement of purpose and basic human rights, the middle section which lists specific complaints against George III, and the conclusion which states the colonists determination to separate from Great Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
John Hanson was the first president under these articles. Some successes were that the government signed a treaty with France in 1778, the government established the Departments of Foreign Affairs, War, Marine, and Treasury, and the government successfully waged a war for independence against the British. Some failures were that congress had no power to coin money and each state developed its own currency, congress was unable to impose taxes, and there was no national court system. -
The Treaty of Paris
The American representatives were Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and John Adams. The borders were extended west to the Mississippi River and south to Spanish Florida. The British agreed to recognize American independence as far west as the Mississippi River.
A website on The Treaty of Paris:
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/treaty -
Start of Constitutional Convention
All of the states sent delegates to Annapolis, Maryland to discuss trade regulation. Only 5 states actually showed up which isn't enough to make any ammendment to Articles of Confederation, you must have all the states there.
