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Jan 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The barons who created the Magna Carta were seeking protection against heavy-handed and arbitrary acts by the king. The Magna Carta included such fundamental rights as trial by jury and due process of law - protection against the arbitrary taking of life, liberty, or property. -
The Petition of Right
Only few respected the Magna Carta by some monarchs for around 400 years. In 1628, when Charles I asked Parliament for more money in taxes, Parliament refused until he signed the Petition of Right. The Petition of Right limited the king's power in several ways. Most importantly, the document demanded the king no longer imprison or otherwise punish any person but by the lawfuljudgement of his peers, or by the law of the land. -
The English Bill of Rights
To prevent the abuse of power of the future monarchs, the Parliament drew up a list of provisions to which the new monarchs had to agree. This document prohibited a standing army in peacetime, except with the consent of Parliament, and required that all parliamentary elections be free. -
The Albany Plan of Union
The British Board of Trade called a meeting of seven of the northern colonies at Albany: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the problems of colonial trade and the danger of attacks by the French and their Native American allies. This plan proposed the formation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies. -
The Declaration of Independence
The colonists have decided to be independent states and to not follow British rule. Rechard Lee proposed to create a constitution. The Declaration of Indepence declares independence of the United States. States that all men are made equal and granted rights among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Declares a democratic government as well. -
The Articles of Confederation
Richard Lee's resolution leading to the Declaration of Independence also had called on the Second Continental Congress to propose "a plan of confederation". They established "a firm league of frendship" among States. Under this plan, each State kept "its soveriegnty, freedom, and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right...not...expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled." -
The Virginia Plan
The delegates wanted to propose the first plan for a new constitution. The Plan called for a new government with three separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. -
The New Jersey Plan
Paterson and his colleagues offered several amendments to the Articles. The Plan retained the unicameral Congress of the Confederation with each of the States equally represented. To those powers Congress already had, would be added closely limited powers to tax and to regulate trade between the States. Th Plan also called got a "federal executive" of more than one person. This plural executive would be chosen by Congress and could be removed by the request of a majority of the States' governors -
The Connecticut Compromise
Delegates from each State tried to reach a compromise and came up with The Compromise. Under The Compromise, it was agreed that Congress should be composed of two houses. In the smaller Senate, the States would be represented equally . In the House, the representation of each State would be based upon its population. Thus combining the features of The Virginia and New Jersey Plans. -
The Constitution of the United States
The people of the U.S. wanted to get away absolutely from England's sovereign. So the State reps and delegates came up with the Consitution, which rights cannot be removed, but rights can be added. The Constitution guides U.S. law and political culture. Its writers composed the 1st constitution of its kind incorporating recent developments in constitutional theory with multiple traditions, and their work influenced later writers of national constitutions.
