-
Period: Jan 1, 1000 to Jan 1, 1400
The Midieval Era
The Middle Ages were the times of ignorance, superstition, Knights, Monarching Kings, forced religion, and povershed peasents. This was when people started to rise agaist their unjust Monarchs, and overthrow them to make a better place to live. -
Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta
The Magan Carta was a document similar to United Sates Constitution. The Magna Carta was made by the peasants and the Barons of the King of England, saying that they had a right to have respect and a good life. The peasants and the Barons made King John sign this document. It limited the King's power and it prevented The King to arrest civilains randomly. It was the 1st act of Habeas Corpus; which is the right of process and trial. -
Period: May 1, 1450 to
The Renisannce Era
Renisance means rebirth in Latin. The Renisannce was a time were many people started to revolutionize people thinked. Artists used three dimensions in their work, and inventors made new machine s that made work and living easier. Some people who lived at the time were Cesare Borgia, Pope Julius II, Michealangelo, Leonardo DaVinci, and NIccolo Machiavelli. It was when people statred to be more independent from thier rulers and people would come up with teir own ideas. -
The Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was one of the first govering documents of the Plymouth Colony. It was made by the colonists (later known as Pilgrims), who crossed the Atlantic ocean abord the Mayflower Ship. It was signed by 41 of the 102 passengers on November 11th, 1620. -
The English Bill of Rights
The English bill of Rights took away even more power from the ruling monarch than the Magna Carta did. It also protected all of the rights of English citizens. This was another document that inspired the American Constitution. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment era, (also known as The Age of Reason) was a time period when people started to theorize and move towards self-government and Democracy. The English philosopher John Locke was a man who supported the movement towards self- government. He argued that government can only exist "with the consent of the goverment". The men who made our Constitution used his writings to inspire the Constituion. -
Period: to
Time Period leading to the Signing of The Constitution
-
"No Taxation Without Representation!"
Colonists thought that the British Taxed them for no good reason. Colonists resented newly made taxes because they had no representatives in parliment. -
Quartering act of 1765
This act allowed Britsh soldiers to take a colonsit's house and use it for their quarters if their were no other places to stay. It requiered the person who owned the house to ccok a meal for the soldiers too. -
Townshend Acts of 1767
This act taxed nails, paper, lead, and tea. Colnonists were very unhappy. Tension grew and colnists would eventually declare war after a few more unsettling events, like the Intollerable Acts, and the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was planned by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty. Colonists boarded three ships and threw over 356 pounds over tea into the frigid Atlantic Ocean. -
First Continental Congress convenes
The Continental Congress was the first group of politicians who made laws and was very similar to the Britsh Parliment. Now, it is no longer call The Continental Congress, it is call the Congress of the United States of America. -
The Revolutionary War Starts
The Colonists declared War on England on April 16th, 1775. The colonists declared war becuase they felt that their rights had been violated and England had taxed the colonists without representation. (See No Taxation Without Representation) -
Period: to
The American Revolutionary War
-
The Declaration of Independence Is Signed
The actual date the Declaration of Independence was signed was on August 2nd. Enen Though the Declaration reads: "July 4th, 1776, in Congress", not all of the representatives were present at the time. -
Continetal Congress approves the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were made to specify how the National and Federal Government will operate and govern the country. The first draft of the Articles of Confereration were made in 1776. The Ratification process was finally completed on November 17th, 1777. The Articles of Confederation wer later revised due to the fact that they were very vague and unclear. -
Trading Problems With Britain
After the Revolution, The United States had a lot of probelms trading with other countires. The United States relied heavily on trade with the west indies and Britain. After signing the Treaty of Paris of 1783, England closed many of its ports with America. This left America in a sticky financial situation. Britain also forced American merchants to pay very high tarffs. Tariffs are taxes on imported or exported goods. The tariffs applied to goods such as tobacco, rice, tar, oil, and other goods. -
Economic Problems
After the Revolutionary War, most of the states in the United States had a lot of trouble pay off deby from the war. Many states started to make large amounts of paper money. When this happened, inflation followed. Paper money had no real value, because states had no gold reserves to back the paper money up.
In Rhode Island the state legislatures printed out large amounts of worthless paper money. This made many debtors happy, because they could pay their debts with paper money, which was worth -
Ecomonic Problems cont.
In Rhode Island the state legislatures printed out large amounts of worthless paper money. This made many debtors happy, because they could pay their debts with paper money, which was worth less than the gold and silver cions that they borrowed. this then made the people who loaned them the money mad. Many creditors fled Rhode Island to avoid being paid back with worthless paper. The lack of trade with Britain and inflation combined to make an economic disaster. America was in a depression. -
Trading With Britain cont.
These goods were made in America, then sold to Britain. Merchants had to raise price of their good to cover the prices of these tariffs. This made many people mad because the costs of goods eventually went to the customers, who had to pay more for the goods. This made the state of the economy even worse. -
The Revolutionary War Ends
England surreders at the battle of Yorktown. Colonists and French Solidiers trap the British forces. King George III signs The Treaty of Paris Of 1783, and recognizes America's indepence. -
Trading Problems with Spain
In 1784, the Spanish officials closed the lower part of the Mississippi River to all U.S shipping and merchants. Many western farmers and merchant wer furious because they used the Mississippi to ship goods to foriegn and eastern markets. Congress tried to come to a middle ground with Spain about the problem, but the plan did not recieve a majority vote in Congress. As a result of the plan not being passed, Spain broke off all negotiations. -
Trading Problems with Spain cont.
After the negotiations failed, many state leaders criticize the federal government. Critics believed that if the United States possesed a more powerful military, Spain would have agreed to the negotiations. The People of The Untied States of America thought that the country needed to be more powerful. -
Shays Rebellion cont.
made the farmers more determined. But in January of 1786, Shay's forces were defeated. By February, most of the rebels were in prison. Fourteen of the leaders were sentenced to death. Daniel Shays was released soon after he was put in jail. -
Shay's Rebellion
In the September of 1786, farmer Daniel Shays led a rebellion of farmers whos land had been taken away. Daniel Shays was a Revolutionary War hero, but now, his land was being taken way from him. Shay's Rebellion was a group of farmers who rebeled aganst the government because the supreme court was taking the farmers' land. This rebellion consisted of over 1000 farmers, and the rebellion was led by Daniel Shays. The rebellion was threaten many times by the goverment, but that just gave them... -
Constitutional Convention is Held
The Constitutional Convention was a convention to help revise the Articles of Confederation, and to help make the Constitution of the United States of America.
