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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta is drafted
The Magna Carta was the first document that limited the King's power. It was a practical solution to political crisis which served the interest of society by limiting the power and behaviour of the King. It dealt with feudal customs and the operation of the justice system. There is no real evidence that the King signed because it is believed that he didn't know how to write. There are only three copies of the original Magna Carta. -
Petition of Right is drafted
King Charles l broke up Parliament and ruled England on his own. Parliament memeber Sir Edward Coke in response, presented the Petition of Right; which cited the Magna Carta and reminded Charles l that the law gave them their rights, not the 's King. Coke's petition focused on the King's violations towards the law. The King accepted the Petition of Right, but soon broke it. This resulted in a Civil War and Charles l beheaded in 1649. -
English Bill of Rights is drafted
The English Bill of Rights was formally passed by Parliament. It guaranteed the right to British subjects to petition the King and to bear arms. It also prohibited the bails and fines that were too excessive and cruel and unusual punishment. It was different than the U.S. Bill of Rights that was passed down a century later. It guaranteed the rights of civillians as well. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament. It was a tax that imposed on all American colonists; who were required to pay tax on all legal documents. The acutal cost of the stamp act was so low that colonists were offended. It was reviewed as an attempt for England to raise money in the colonies. The new taxes were widely denounced because the rates were so high and largely amounted to "taxation without representation". -
Townshend Duties
Colonists did not know how to response to the Townshend duties at first. They could not use the same strong-arm tactics they had used against the stamp distributors. Charles Townshend promised that he would tax the Americans to make a difference. he took advantage of the distinction Americans had drawn between internal and external taxes.he put a series of acts laying import duties at American port on paper, lead, glass,and tea. These duties didn't have an econmic but a political purpose. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred between a "patriot" mob, who were throwing snowballs sticks and stones at British soldiers. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. Captain Thomas Preston called in additional soldiers who were also attacked, so they fired into a mob killing 3 people and wounding 8. The Boston Massacre was a signal that eventually led to the Revolutionary War. It also led to the Royal Governor evacuating the current army from Boston, -
Tea Act
The tea act was an attempt by the British to regain control of the tea trade in America. They also wanted to rescue the British East India company; they were the money makers of Britain for many years. But after the Townshend Acts of 1767 the colonists boycotted and stole it from Dutch companies. The British Parliament agreed on the tea act that lowered the cost of tea. The tea can only be sold by selected British agents. -
1st Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia to discuss the Intolerable Acts. All of the colonies sent delegates, except for Georgia, to show a combined authority to Great Britain. But not all of the delgates sought out the same thing, they all wanted something different. The first few weeks was all about discussion and debate. After all of that they voted to cut off colonial trade with Great Britain unless Parliament abolished the Intolerable Acts. -
2nd Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. By then the Revolution had begun, the "shot heard around the world" had been fired, and the battles of Lexington and Concord had been over for three weeks. Each of the 13 colonies sent representatives; most of the ones who had attended the First Continental Congress were there.By force of circumstance, it became the nation's first national government. They did what any government would do under these circumstances. -
Common Sense was published (Thomas Payne)
Common Sense was originally published annonymusly. It talked about the independence for the American colonies from Britain. This is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in history. Citizens and political leaders played a huge role in the transformation of the American Revolution. Since it was one of the most influential pamphlets of all time it sold more than 500,000 copies. -
Declaration of Independence signed
The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a glorious day for our country's history. By the time that it was adopted, the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain had been in was for more than a year. Five men including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin were tasked to draft a formal statement of the colonies intentions. Most of it was written by Jefferson. It spoke of all the suffrages people were facing under the King's power. It declared their freedom from Great Britain.
