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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was written by the nobles of England, with the purpose of limiting monarchy power. This gave the people of England rights as well as changed the government. -
Mayflower Compact
Male pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact to establish a government and rules for themselves once they settled in Plymouth, in America. This began direct democracy, still seen today in New England. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Parliament wrote The English Bill of Rights to establish a new relationship between the legislature and the monarchy. this gave British citizens more rights. -
Cato's Letters
Published in the London Journal, Cato's Letters are a collection of articles written by "Cato the Elder" and "Cato the youth" (fake pen names). The purpose of Cato's Letters was to discuss ideas of expression and freedom, the opposite of the king's strong ideals. -
Mercantilism
Mercantilism is a theory that a country should export more than it imports. In other words, more should be sold than bought. Britain saw the colonies as a method of purchasing cheap and raw goods. Business in colonial America was affected because they were required to sell them to Britain at a low price. -
French and Indian Revolution
The colonists of Britain were pinned against New France at the end of the war. Great Britain got a large amount of territory in New France but it received a large number of war debts. The conflicts after the war led to the American Revolution. -
Townshend Act
Passed by Parliament, the Townshend Act was laws that placed new taxes on basic necessities and goods that colonists used, imported from Britain. This led to a boycott on glass, tea, paper, lead, etc. from the colonists. -
The Boston Massacre
British soldiers massacred many colonists during a mob protest, in Boston. Paul Revere and Samuel Adams made this event very public and used it to urge colonists to fight back. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was passed by Parliament. The Tea Act gave the British East India Company the privilege of not having to pay most of the taxes placed on tea, and ship to the colonies. Not only that but it also gave them the right to sell at lower prices to shopkeepers. A blockade of British East India Company ships from colonial ports resulted from this, as a form of protest for the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
Protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston. The protest was against the taxation of tea in the colonies. They disguised themselves and got on British ships, where they ten dumped in an incredible amount of crates (filled with tea) into the ocean. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts (also known as the Coercive Acts) were passed by Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. They affected and limited the rights of the colonists. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress included delegates sent by the colonial government happened in Philidelphia, with the intention of fighting against the Intolerable Acts. This lasted 7 weeks and the result was the colonist's rights being restored after the delegates sent a letter to King George III -
Lexington & Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. British and colonial soldiers fought against one another. The battles were set up by King George III, as a response to the letter created in the First Continental Congress. -
Second Continental Congress
A result of the British not listening to the grievances that the colonists expressed to them. The colonial government met to discuss and plan and a Continental Army. -
Common Sense
The Common Sense pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine to urge colonists to fight for independence from Great Britain. Pros of independence were explained in an easy way for colonists to understand. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament had the power and right to control American colonists and tax them. -
Stamp Act
Taxes were placed on colonist's newspapers and legal document by the British Parliament, as an attempt to pay off their war debt. This angered the colonists and resulted in them boycotting, with Parliament later repealing it. -
Declaration of Independence
The purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to list grievances towards King George III. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of it, which explained by the United States of America should separate from the British and become its own free and independent nation.
