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1215
Magna Carta
In 1215 King John of England was facing a coup. Almost all of his subjects wanted him gone, and the only army he could raise was paid at a rate that would soon bankrupt the crown. Out of desperation he created the Magna Carta, a document that brought about a lot of changes, but most significantly said the King can't imprison anyone without due process or take and destroy their property without reason. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was England's first successful colony in the United States. Named after King James the settlement had a rough beginning as they settled in a parasite rich area that resulted in deaths from disease.On top of that the food soon disappeared. Things only improved when martial law was established and more organization resulted in better discipline. It reached sustainability after Pocahontas married John Rofle resulting in peace and trade with the Native Americans. -
Mayflower Compact written
Drafted and signed prior to the pilgrims landing in Massachusetts, the Mayflower compact was the first framework of government written for the United States. The document was incredibly short, only around 200 words, it's purposed was to make the passengers of the Mayflower agree to abide by future laws. It was the foundation of Plymouth's government until Plymouth was absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. -
Petition of Right
The petition of right was a petition sent to King Charles by his third parliament. It asked for four things: no taxation without consent of Parliament, no imprisonment without cause, subjects shouldn't be forced to house soldiers, and martial law shouldn't be in effect when England is not at war. King Charles passed the petition but never abide by it. -
English Bill of Rights
Inspired by the U.S., British citizens were tired of having a corrupt monarchy rule their lives and opted for a democratic government. Through rebellion, King William was forced to sign the English Bill of Rights which gave Parliament power over the crown. -
Albany plan of Union
The Albany Plan was created by Benjamin Franklin to give main land England more control over colonial England. This plan would have united the colonies under one governor who would answer to the king on matters of federal government. This plan was never enacted because the royals thought whoever governed the colonies might have enough power to rival the king. -
Stamp Act
In an effort to replenish the money spent during the seven year war, the crown looked to the colonies as a source of potential income. The king enacted a "stamp tax" which taxed every paper product (cards, parchment, stamps, etc.) in the colonies. The colonists didn't like this because they were being taxed without having their interests represented. -
Boston Massacre
In the late 18th century tension ran high between colonists and British soldiers. . One day a lone soldier named Hugh White was guarding government funds when soon he was assailed on by a group of colonists. Fearing for his life Hugh called in reinforcements. The difference between colonists and soldiers is that the soldiers had guns while the colonists were armed with litter and chunks of ice. A massacre ensued as the British army fired into the crowd. -
Boston Tea Party
After the French and Indian war, Britain steeply raised taxes on the American colonies to replenish the money they spent conquering the land. The colonists didn't like that and were particularly angry they had to pay taxes on their tea. So one night, as Great Britain sent in a shipment of tea from the British East India Company, a group of angry colonists boarded the ships and tossed all the tea into the harbor. This was the first major act of defiance against British rule -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party Parliament enacted several acts to quash this rebellion. They were:
The Boston Port Act, which put an embargo on the Boston Port, the Massachusetts Government Act, which gave Britain more influence in Massachusetts government to stop the rebellion, the Administration of Justice Act, which called that everyone involved in the Boston Tea Party and other rebellious acts be brought to justice, and the Quebec Act, which granted land the colonists wanted to France. -
First Continental Congress
On September 26, 1774, delegates from each colony, minus Georgia, were sent to form the first united body of government the U.S. Though their government was disorganized and their agenda wasn't clear the first continental congress served its purpose. Assembling as a united governing body proved to the King that they were capable of governing themselves. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in 1775 and adjourned in 1781. While it was in session it had three major accomplishments.
1. Establishing George Washington as General of the Continental army
2. Signing the Declaration of Independence.
3. Declaring itself to be the central governing body under the Article of Confederation. -
American Revolution Begins
The Battles of Lexington and Concord would kick off the revolutionary war. In April of 1775 thousands of British troops marched from Boston to Concord to seize a weapons cache there. This was when Paul Revere had his famous ride. While British troops were looking for guns that had mostly been relocated a militia was being raised right behind them. As the British turned to return to Boston, satisfied with the calamity they'd raised, they were met by Militia men and the fighting began. -
Declaration of Independence
June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion to Congress to declare independence. Congress had its doubts but still assigned Thomas Jefferson to draft a document that would state their independence. July 4, 1776 Congress ratified Thomas Jefferson's document dubbed "the Declaration of Independence" This document summarized their reasons for leaving and stated that Great Britain no longer had any power over them. On August 2, it was signed. -
Articles of Confederation
The articles of the confederation was the first document to say the states were their own governing body not belonging to Britain. Ratified in 1778 it said Congress has final say on any disputes and most significantly, coins the name United States of America. -
Shays' Rebellion
In 1786, Daniel Shays banded together alongside a bunch of Revolutionary war veterans, who were unhappy with the state foreclosing their property, to launch raids on Massachusetts courthouses. The government wanted this handled quickly and effectively. They granted amnesty to any sheriffs who executed rebels. Vigilante armies were raised in an attempt to guard the courthouses. Eventually the rebellion fizzled and the rebels were arrested or slipped into hiding. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention (a.k.a. Constitutional Convention) met to address the problems that the weak central government was having. The original goal was to fix the Article of Confederation but the government opted to create the Constitution instead. The Constitution established the Judicial, Executive, and Legislative Branch as well as the Federal government, which took over handling foreign affairs. -
The Connecticut Compromise
When America was founded there was a debate over whether or not states should have proportional, or equal representation. Bigger states wanted representation based on population while smaller states wanted the same representation as big states. The result was the Connecticut Compromise which established the Senate and House of Representatives giving the best of both worlds.
