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Jun 1, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was signed by King John. It was a series of written promises between the king and his subjects that he, the king, would govern England and deal with its people according to the customs of feudal law. -
Mayflower Compact
This was written aboard the ship as the pilgrams sailed to America. The Mayflower Compact was the first written framework of government established in what is now the United States. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is a parliamentary declaration of the rights and liberties of the people. It is considered a constitutional document. -
English Bill of Rights
These ideas about rights reflected those of the political thinker John Locke and they quickly became popular in England. The Bill of Rights is still in effect and is one of the main constitutional laws governing the succession to the throne of the United Kingdom. -
Albany Plan of Union
It was a plan to place the British colonies under a more centralized government. -
Stamp Act
An ACT for granting and applying certain stamp duties, and other duties, in the British colonies and plantations in America. -
Boston Massacre
British army men killed five men and wounded six others. The troops had been stationed in Boston. -
American Revolution begins
There were many events leading up to the American Revolution. Some include the Battle of Lexington and Concord. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of Massachusetts Patriots seized 342 chests of tea in a midnight raid on three tea ships and threw them into the harbor.They were protesting Britain and their taxes. -
Intolerable Acts
These acts were set into place by Britain after the Boston Tea Party. Britain was trying to bring the colonies back into submission under the King. -
First Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, from September 5, to October 26, 1774. There were a total of 54 delegates. -
Second Continental Congress
They conviened in Philadelphia after the redcoats stormed Boston. They disscussed seeking independence from Great Britian, but many were against it. -
Declaration of Independence
This document was written by Thomas Jefferson. Congress deleted and revised one-fifth of its text before approving it. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. It established a weak central government. -
Shay's Rebellion
It was an uprising that started in Massachusetts lasting from 1786-1787. The rebels tried to capture the federal arsenal at Springfield and harassed leading merchants, lawyers, and supporters of the state government. -
Philadephia Convention
It took place from May 25, 1787 to September 17, 1787. This was set up to address problems in governing the U.S, which had, at that time, been under British rule. -
Connecticut Compromise
This was an agreement that large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United States Constitution. -
Constitution Convention
At the State House in Philadelphia, men began to construct the frame work of the constitution. Gordon Lloyd organized the convention into four parts.
