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Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta was signed
The Magna Carta was the first written "constitution" in the history of Europe. It had 63 clauses and was written by barons and lords wanting their rights from King John. King John signed the letter on the fifteenth of June in 1215. The Magna Carta represents the start of the system of checks and balances. -
Period: Jun 15, 1215 to
Events Leading to the Constitiution
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Salutary Neglect
The Salutary Neglect was when the British government didn't enforce their laws in the Colonies. The colonists were pretty much left to their own devices, governing themselves and trading with other countries. The British government was sure the Colonies would remain loyal, and in the beginning they did, until they began to taste the sweetness of freedom and began thinking about a revolution... -
The House Of Burgesses
The house was the system of government in Jamestown for the settlers. Only white landowners were allowed to vote in it, but it was the first look of the government we have today. The first meeting was on July 30th, 1619. -
The Signing of the Mayflower Compact
The colonists from the Mayflower had decided to settle a different place from where they agreed upon with the King. As they waited for new permission, they needed a way to become united. Signed by 41 men from the Mayflower, the Mayflower Compact bound the pilgrims until the new permission arrived. The Compact was signed on November 11, 1620. Without the Mayflower Compact, we might not be as united as we are today. -
The Navigation Act
As part of the Salutary Neglect, the Navigation Act wasn't really enforced until 1660-1669. The Act stated that the Colonies couldn't trade with any countries other than England without the goods being transported by British vessels. The first Navigation Act even went so far as to say the ships they traded with had to have a crew of at least 75% British traders. This made the colonists mad, leading to the Revolution. -
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The French and Indian War
What started out as an argument over land became an event known as the Seven Year War. In 1756, Britain declared war. At the beginning, the British seemed to be loosing, but in 1757 the tables turned. Britain began to win the war. At a peace conference in 1763, Britain received Canada from France, and Florida from Spain. -
The Proclamation of 1763
After the Seven Year war finished, King George the Third changed his mind. There was a revolt from the Native Americans, so King George decided to stop westward expansion. No longer did the Colonies have free reign, they weren't allowed to travel westward. No settlers or government of the Colonies could make deals with the Native Americans to buy their land, and only licensed travelers could trade with the Native Americans. This prevented the colonists developing further, and was a big setback. -
The Stamp Act
In deep debt from the Seven Years war, England turned to the Colonies. The British government created a tax on all paper going to the Colonies. Each official paper had a special stamp from the government on it. When smugglers from the Colonies were on trial for smuggling the stamps the colonists on the jury voted them not guilty. After that, the British government convicted the smugglers without a jury. Even after the Stamp Act was repealed, there were still strained relations with the British. -
Boston Massacre
After British troops were sent to Massachusetts to enforce the Townshend Acts, tensions began to rise. On March 5, 1770, the Colonists began to protest the British troops being in their town. This caused a fight, and the British shot five Colonists. This made the Colonists very angry, which resulted in a lot of hate at the British and their government, bringing them closer to the inevitable war. -
The Tea Act
To help the East Asia Company, a big part in the British economy, the British put a tax on tea in the Colonies. This caused the colonists to riot, becoming the Boston Tea Party which will be described later. This further angered the colonists, yet another step on the stairs to the Revolution. -
The Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty held a meeting. They had to stop the British rule on them. Disguising themselves a Mohawk Indians, they snuck out to board the British ships full of tea. Taking nearly three hours, the group of more than 100 people tossed 342 chests of tea into the water, over forty five tons. The British were MAD, they wanted to get more control over the colonists, causing more argument. -
The Intolerable Acts
Also known as the Coercive Acts, the British government made four fateful laws for the colonists. The first was the Quebec Act, where the British put Quebec under new "more responsible" rule. Next, the Massachusetts Government Act stopped the colonies charter, put Massachusetts under new rule, and forbade meeting that hadn't been approved. Finally, the Administration of Justice Act, was to protect British officials, and combined with that forced the colonists to open their homes to the British. -
The Albany Conference
At the beginning of the French and Indian War, the British and the Colonies met to discuss how the Colonies would support the British. Benjamin Franklin had an idea called the Albany Plan of Union. The plan said that one person would lead the charge, but not be in complete control of levying the taxes going to the central treasury. All the delegates from the Colonies agreed, but the King declined, worried it would give the colonists too much power. The war was directed under the past system. -
The First Continental Congress
Frustrated by the Coercive Acts, 56 delegates from all the states (Excluding Georgia) met to write a declaration of their rights and grievances. They also elected Peyton Randolph as the president of the Congress. Many important people were there, including George Washington, and John Adams. This set the ball rolling for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia after the war had already started. It was made up of mostly the same people as the First Continental Congress. It continued to help us make progress to writing our new laws. -
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The Revolutionary War
The war between the Colonies and Britain, the Colonies fighting to gain their independence. We obviously won, and that makes us have freedom from England today. -
The Olive Branch Petition
Written by John Dickinson, the Olive Branch Petition was a kind of apology. It told King George the 3rd that they still respected him and agreed with his way of rule, they just wanted their own independence. This was helpful because it put us on better terms with the British. -
Declaratory Act
A declaration from the British government after repealing the Stamp Act, saying that the British government had absolute control over the Colonies, including taxing them. As you can imagine, the Colonies were very frustrated. I'm sure most people would think about revolting if someone declared control over them. -
The Declaration of Independence
Five men wrote the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Although Jefferson was the "main" writer of the Declaration, all of the men helped to edit the drafts. This was a way of telling the British why the colonists created their own country, and it is something we still refer to today. -
The Articles of Confederation
Although the Articles of Confederation didn't work out, it still provided a basis for the Constitution we have today. Ratified by all thirteen states, the Articles made a weak government and gave most of the power to the states, worried that if the government held too much power, it wouldn't be better than England. The Articles were helpful because they told us what we needed to have to make a strong country. -
The French Alliance
Representatives from both France and the United States signed the French Alliance that said they would help each other in war, and France would be allowed to fight for islands off the Gulf of Mexico. This became a bond between the US and France, helping us become allies. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris marked the end of the Revolutionary War. It gave the Americas independence and made peace between Great Britain and the United States. (At least a little.) Without the treaty, the fight might have cost a lot more lives, and there would have many more hard feelings between England and America. -
Shays' Rebellion
Led by Daniel Shays, the farmers were angry. They felt they had no control over their taxes, and with dry seasons, many farmers were struggling. Although there were rebellions through New Hampshire to South Carolina, the main fight took place in Massachusetts. Shays' Rebellion made the government rethink how their country was run, forcing them to realize what the country needed. -
The United States Contitution
Finally we have arrived! Beginning with "We the people of the United States..." The Constitution describes how the government will work, and who can be the president or part of the congress. The Constitution also tells the roles of each branch, and of the system of checks and balances. We still use the Constitution as our guidelines today! -
Federalist Papers
Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the Federalist Papers are a collection published in New York papers of all the ways the new government will work, help, and why it was a good idea. The Papers convinced New York to ratify the constitution, which is important to the founding of the United States of America.
