Origins of American Government

  • Founding of Jamestown

    Founding of Jamestown
    America's first permanent English colony
  • House of Burgesses

    House of Burgesses
    First meeting of Virginia General Assembly at Jamestown
  • Founding of Plymouth

    Founding of Plymouth
    First colonial settlement in New England.
  • Mayflower Compact

    Mayflower Compact
    Signed by 41 English colonists on the Mayflower. First written framework of government established in the U.S.
  • Massachusetts Bay Colony Founded

    Massachusetts Bay Colony Founded
  • Thomas Hooker

    Thomas Hooker
    Puritan colonial leader who founded the colony of Connecticut in 1636.
  • Patrick Henry

    Patrick Henry
    American attourney and polititian and became known as an orator during the movement for independence.
  • Albany Plan of Union

    Albany Plan of Union
    Plan to place British North Americans colonies under a more centralized government. It was never carried.
  • French and Indian War

    French and Indian War
    Lasted 7 years. France expansion to the Ohio River which caused conflicts with claims of the British colonies.
  • Stamp Act Congress

    Stamp Act Congress
    Meeting between October 7th, and 25th in New York City. First Gathering of elected representatives from several colonies to devise a unified protest against new British Taxation
  • Sons of Liberty

    Sons of Liberty
    Organization of Patriots best know for the Boston Tea Party
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre
    Killing of five colonists by the British.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    Sons of Liberty dressed up as indians and boarded 3 ships in the Boston Harbor and threw 342 chests of British tea overboard
  • First Continental Congress

    First Continental Congress
    Meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies. Georgia was not there.
  • Second Continentel Congress

    Second Continentel Congress
    Convention of delegates from the 13 colonies. Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Thomas Paine's Common Sense

    Thomas Paine's Common Sense
    Challenged British Authority and the royal monarchy. First work to openly ask for freedom from Great Britain
  • Declairation of Independence

    Declairation of Independence
    Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, gave the U.S. independence from Britain.
  • Articles of Confederation

    Articles of Confederation
    First written constitution of the U.S. Ratified March 1, 1781
  • Shay's Rebellion

    Shay's Rebellion
    Series of protests by American farmers against enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt.
  • Federalist Papers

    Federalist Papers
    85 essays outlining new government, Authors: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
  • Constitutional Covention

    Constitutional Covention
    Meetings in Philadelphia where debates over the proposed constitution took place
  • Delaware Ratifies Constitution

    Delaware Ratifies Constitution
    First state to ratify constitution
  • New Hampshire Ratifies Constitution

    New Hampshire Ratifies Constitution
    New Hampshire becomes 9th state to ratify the constitution.
  • Rhode Island Ratifies

    Rhode Island Ratifies
    Rhode Island becomes the 13th state to enter the union after ratifying the constitution.
  • Bill of Rights Ratified

    Bill of Rights Ratified
    2/3 majority; Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to approve 10 of the 12 ammendments.