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1500 BCE
1. Moses
Moses was a prophet according to the teachings of the Abrahamic religions. According to the Hebrew Bible, he was saved and subsequently adopted by an Egyptian princess, -
600 BCE
2.Old testament
The biblical idea of a covenant, an ancient Jewish term meaning a special kind of agreement between people and God, influenced the formation of colonial governments and contributed to our constitutional structure. -
100
3.New Testament
The New Testament carried on from the Old Testament the biblical idea of a covenant and having moral leadership that influenced the formation of colonial governments and contributed to our constitutional structure. A majority of the New Testament was written by the Apostle Paul - a former Jewish scholar who would of been very familiar with these beliefs. -
1215
4 .Magna Carta
In 1215, English nobles were upset with the oppressive policies of King John. His oppressive policies included unfair taxation and cruel treatment of prisoners. They forced him to sign a document - the Magna Carta - recognizing their rights. -
5.Mayflower Compact
The Pilgrims governed themselves by a written contract between themselves. This would be a huge influence on our government and Constitution -
6.The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first constitution written in America and had a huge influence on the Founders of America. -
7.English bill of rights
Even after the signing of the Magna Carta, power struggles between the monarch and Parliament (England’s law making body) persisted for more than 400 years. In 1688, the English Parliament removed King James II from the throne with little resistance The Parliament chose two new monarchs who recognized the Parliament as supreme:
William III
Mary II -
8.House of Lords
The members of the upper chamber were the first sons of noble families and later members who inherited their positions. The US Senate is the upper chamber in the American Congress. -
9.House of Commons
The members of the lower chamber were elected and were often the younger sons of noble families or wealthy commoners. The US House of Representatives is the lower chamber in the American Congress. -
10.The Enlightenment
An intellectual movement concentrated in France during the 1700s. A group of philosophers including John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire, sought to apply the rights of scientific inquiry to study human society. They developed rational laws to describe social behavior and applied their finding in support of human rights (natural rights) and liberal economic theories. -
13.The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War pitted the colonies of British America against those of New France, each side supported by military units from the parent country and by American Indian allies. -
14.The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which imposed a direct tax on the British colonies in America and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp. -
11.English common law
This was used in the courts of England since the Middle Ages. Common law and its commentaries is based on custom, usages, and general principles found in court decisions that serve as precedents to be applied to situations not covered by statutory law. The English system of law had a major influence in the American colonies. -
15.The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. -
16.The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. -
17.The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies in America which united in the American Revolutionary War -
12.Thirteen English Colonies
Each of the thirteen colonies had its own government consisting of three parts:- A governor (usually appointed by the king)
- A legislative body (elected at least in part)
- A court system
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18.The Deceleration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence is the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1776 -
19.The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 original states of the United States of America that served as its first constitution. It was approved, after much debate, by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and sent to the states for ratification. -
20.The Constitution of the United States (
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The Constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government.
