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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
On June 15th, 1215, the Magna Carta was written and signed by King John, against his will. It established the principle that the king was subject to and not above the law. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was founded on May 14th, 1607 in Virginia. It was the first permanent English settlement in North America and was named after King James the first of England. -
Mayflower Compact Written
The Mayflower Compact was written, by Pilgrims, who were aboard the ship the Mayflower. It bound them to live in a civil society according to their own laws. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was signed on June 7th, 1628. It's an English constitutional document that has a list of liberties that the king cannot infringe on. -
English Bill of Rights
On December 16th, 1689 the English Bill of Rights was passed. This bill limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election, creates separation of powers, and freedom of speech. -
Albany Plan of Union
At the Albany Congress on July 10, 1754 in Albany, New York, the Albany Plan of Union was written. Suggested by Ben Franklin, it was a plan to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies. -
Stamp Act
On March 22nd, 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This Act required that all American colonists had to pay tax on every piece of printed paper they used. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5th, 1770. It was an incident where British Army soldiers killed five male civilians and injured six others. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest, held by the Sons of Liberty, in Boston, on December 16th, 1773. Boston colonists, disguised as Indians, threw tea into the harbor to protest against British taxes on tea. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts was passed in 1774 and it was to punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party. Three laws were passed that angered the colonists: The Boston Port Act, The Massachusetts Government Act, and The Administration of Justice Act. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting held on September 5th, 1774. The thirteen colonies held a meeting in Philadelphia to discuss their response to the British "Intolerable Acts." -
American Revolution Begins
The American Revolution was a political battle that started on April 19th, 1775, and ended on September 3rd, 1783. During this time, the colonists, from the Thirteen Colonies, the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting held on July 4th, 1776. During this meeting, they discussed the colonial war effort and adopted the Declaration of Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
This is the document that was adopted at the Second Continental Congress meeting, held in Philadelphia. This declaration stated that the American colonies where no longer under British rule. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation first began in 1777 and it's final ratification was on March 1st, 1781. It served as the de facto system of government which was used by the congress. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was an armed uprising, between the years of 1786-1887, in Massachusetts. The uprising was lead by Daniel Shay, a former militia officer. The followers followers protested the foreclosures of farms for debt and briefly succeeded in shutting down the court system. -
Constitution Convention
On May 14th, 1787, the Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia. The delegates from the five states gathered to discuss improvements to the Articles of Confederation. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Philadelphia Convention took place on May 25th, 1787. This was when the men the United States Constitution and designed our government with separate branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise (The Great Compromise) took place on July 16th, 1787. It "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" (Wikipedia).
