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The House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses, the first representative assembly in America, meets for the first time in Virginia -
Mayflower Compact
The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is established by Pilgrims from England. The Mayflower Compact is written by 42 Male pilgrims on the Mayflower. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right is a major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. -
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders were adopted by the Connecticut Colony. The orders describe the government set up by the Connecticut River towns, setting its structure and powers. -
The English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights is an act that the Parliament of England passed on December 16, 1689. The Bill creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election and bolsters freedom of speech. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. Although never carried out, the Albany Plan was the first important proposal to conceive of the colonies as a collective whole united under one government. -
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French and Indian War
Final conflict in the ongoing struggle between the British and French for control of eastern North America. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. -
Boston Massacre
British troops fire into a mob, killing five men and leading to intense public protests. -
Boston Tea Party
Group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians board three ships in Boston harbor and dump more than 300 crates of tea overboard to protest the British tea tax. -
First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia, with 56 delegates representing every colony except Georgia. They finally imposed an embargo, an agreement prohibiting trade, on Britain and agreed to boycott British goods. -
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American Revolution
The American Revolution was a political upheaval that took place between 1765 and 1783 during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America. -
The Second Continental Congress
Delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. The Continental Congress immediately assumed the powers of a central government and chose John Hancock of Massachusetts as president. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. -
The First States and the First State Constitutions
About two months before the Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress had instructed the colonies to form governments. By the end of 1776, 10 states had adopted written constitutions. -
Declaring Independence
On July 4, the Congress approved the final draft of the Decleration of Independence. John Hancock, the president of the Congress, was the first to sign the document, which eventually held the signatures of all 56 delegates.
