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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
This was written to protect the rights and property of the people from the king. The colonist believed they were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen. -
Jamestown settled
Jamestown was the first settlement of the Virginia Colony, It was the first permanent English settlement in America. It served as the capital of the colony for 83 years. Within a year of the founding, Polish and Dutch colonists helped improve the settlement. -
Mayflower Compact written
It was signed on 11 November 1620 on board of the Mayflower. The Mayflower Compact was written by William Bradford, he was a passenger on the Mayflower. -
Petition of Right
The petition was written so the king could not infringe on anyone's business. It contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation. -
English Bill of Rights
One of the basic documents of English constitutional law. It is a statement of certain positive rights that citizens or residents of a free and democratic society should have. It asserts the Subject's right to petition the Monarch and the Subject's right to bear arms for defense. -
Albany Plan of Union
It was an early attempt at forming a union of colonies. This was necessary for defence against the threats and consequences posed by the French and Indian Wars. The plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin. -
Stamp Act
Direct tax imposed by the British Parliament. This act required that you print materials on stamped paper produced in London. Colonies sent no representatives therefore they had no influence over what taxes were raised. Many colonists that it was a violation of their rights as Englishmen to be taxed without their consent. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight; five colonist were killed by the British. This riot began when 50 citizens attacked the British guard. -
Boston Tea Party
At the end of the French and Indian War, King George III and his government taxed the American colonies to repay the war costs. The colonies refused to pay the taxes to the government. They took away all the taxes except for the tax on tea. When the officials in Boston refused to return the shiploads of tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
A series of laws passed by the British Parliament. The acts triggered outrage and resistance in the 13 colonies. Four of the acts were issued in direct responce to the Boston Tea Party. A fifth act, the Quebec Act, enlarged the boundaries of the Province of Quebec. -
First Continental Congress
This is a convention of delegates from 12 British North American colonies. They had two primary accomplishments. First was to boycott British goods, The second was to provide for the Second Continental Congress to meet on May 10, 1775. -
American Revolution begins
The 13 colonies joined together to break free from the British Empire. They first rejected authority of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them from overseas. -
Second Continental Congress
This was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies. It managed the colonial war effort, and moved to independence. The 56 delegates who were at the First Continental Congress were all at the Second Continental Congress. -
Articles of Confederation
Agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America. This was our first constitiution of our 13 colonies. This was replaced 13 years later with what is now the U.S. Constitution. -
Declaration of Independence
This was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress. This document announced that the thirteen American colonies are now each an independent state and no longer a part of the British Empire. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. -
Shay's Rebellion
The rebellion was named after Daniel Shay, he was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. It was brought on by several factors; financial difficulties because of the post-war economic depression. -
Connecticut Compromise
Agreement between large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the U.S. Constitution. -
Constitution Convention
It was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its designed to created a new government, rather to fix the exsiting one. George Washington was elected to preside over the Convention. The U.S. Constitution was written at this convention which is one of the most important events in the U.S. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Convention was also called the Philadelphia Convention because it was held in Philadelphia, PA.
