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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta, 1215
The Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain liberties and accept that his will was not arbitrary. The Magna Carta was important to the colonization of American Colonies as England's legal system was used as a model for many of the colonies as they were developing their own legal systems. -
Period: Jun 15, 1215 to
Creation of Government
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Mayflower Compact, 1620
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. It was written by the Separists who were fleeing from religious prosecutions. It was a social contract in which the settles consented to follow the compact's rules and regulations for the sake of survival. -
English Bill of Rights, 1689
The English Bill of Rights was a restatement that lays down the limits on the powers of the sovereign and sets out the right of Parliament and the right to petition the monarch without fear of retribution. -
Albany Plan, 1754
The Albany Plan of Union was proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress in 1754. It was an early attempt at forming a union of the colonies under one government as far as might be necessary for defense and other general important purposes during the French and Indian War. -
Declaration of Independence, 1776
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress, which announced that the 13 American colonies that after being at war, were no longer a part of the British Empire. -
Articles of Confederation, 1781
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the 13 founding states established the United States as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. -
Shay's Rebellion, 1786
Shay's rebellion was an armed uprising that took place in central and western Massachusetts. The rebellion came to be from multiple events such as financial difficulties brought about by a post war economic depression, and financially hard government policies. -
US Constitution, 1786
The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It establishes the powers of the powers of the federal government, and the principles of federalism. -
Three Fifths Compromise, 1787
This was a compromise between the Southern and Northern states that was reached during the Philadelphia Convention. This decided that three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for representation purposes regarding appointment of elected leaders and distribution of taxes.
