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Jan 1, 1215
The Magna Carta
It was the first document forced onto a King of England by the so called "supporters", or fuedal barons. It required King John to accept that he was not an arbitrary. -
Jamestown Settled
This was the first permanent settlement in the colonies. The Virginia Company of London established the town in Virginia where is remained the capital for 83 years. -
Mayflower Compact Written
This was the first governing document of Plymouth colony. It was a social contract made to follow the rules. It was written by the "Separists" and was signed by all 101 passangers on the Mayflower. -
Petition of Right
This was an English constitutional document stating that the King could not infringe on the rights of his people. It prevented non-parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restrictions of the use of martial law. -
Albany Plan of Union
It began as a rivalry between England and France over North America. They decided to meet in NY in June to create a "plan of union" drafted by Ben Franklin. However, it did not prevent the french and Indian War. -
Stamp Act
It was a direct tax imposed on the colonies of British America. It required that printed materials be on stamped paper that carried a revenue stamp from London. -
Boston Massacre
The British troops killed 5 civilian men and 6 were injured.The English troops were stationed in Boston to support and protect crown-appointed officials. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty were unhappy with the British tax policy so they boarded a ship owned by the East India Tea Company and dumped all of the tea into the Boston Harbor. -
First Continental Congress
56 delegates from 12 of the 13 British North American colonies met to devise their grievances to petition against King George III -
Intolerable Acts
These were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament. They caused a great outrage and led to the making of the First Continental Congress. -
Second Continental Congress
They met soon after the Revolutionary War had begun. They were trying to manage war efforts and move towards independence. -
Declaration of Independence
This was when the colonies becoame and Idependent country. They were no longer a part of Britain. Independence Day is now celebrated on July 4th. -
American Revolution
This was a political upheaval between the colonies and Britain. The colonies wanted to separate from Britain so the war begun. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were drafted in 1777 but ratified in 1781. It was drafted by the Continental Congress and was an agreement among the 13 American states. It served as the first constitution. -
Shay's Rebellion
Protestors shut down county courts in Massachussetts in opposition to federal issues. One of the major causes was the post war depression. -
Philadelphia Convention
This was a meeting toaddress problems with the governing after the colonies claimed independence. It was intended to revise the Articles of Confederaton. (also known as Constitutional COnvention) -
Connecticut Compromise
This defined the legislative structure and representation under the constitution. It called for proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the upper house. -
Bill Of Rights
It laid down the limits on the power of the sovereign and set out the rights of Parliament. It redirected the ideas of John Locke and became very popular in England.
