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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Magna CartaKing John introduced high taxes which was against feudal law and the barons captured London. The Magna Carta was signed by King John and the Barons of Medieval England at Runnymede near Windsor Castle. As result the King would govern England and deal with it's people according to the customs of feudal law. -
Mayflower Compact
Mayflower CompactIt was the first written framework of government established in the U.S. It was drafted to prevent dissent amongst Puritans and non-separatist Pilgrims who had landed on Plymouth. -
Petition of Rights
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. Charles I signed this petition. The Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law. -
English Bill of Rights
It was written as an act of Parliament to limit the power of the English sovereign. William and Mary, prince and princess of Orange, signed it. Englishmen had certain civil and political rights and free speech in Parliament. -
French and Indian War
It was the final colonial war in the Seven Years War between Great Britain and France. The major players in the war were French, British colonies, Austria, England, Prussia, and Sweden. Some of the major battles included the Massacre at Ft. William Henry and the Battle of Quebec, but the war was won by the British in the end. This war spurred colonial rebellion that developed into a war for independence. -
Albany Plan of Union
A plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. This plan was suggested by Benjamin Franklin but was rejected by colonial assemblies and British representatives. The sign associated with this is the snake that says, "Join and Die". -
King George the III takes power
On his watch the American colonies were lost. King George III created a negative relationship between the British and the colonies when he taxed tea resulting in the Boston Tea Party. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act was a tax imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. The money collected was used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists were angry because it was viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in colonies without approval of colonial legislatures. Items such as legal documents, licenses, newspapers, even playing cards were taxed. -
Boston Massacre
This was the killing of colonists by British regulators. Royal troops tried to enforce tax burdens imposed by the Townshends Act killing 5 colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of Massachusetts Patriots seized 342 chests of tea in a midnight raid. This event was organized by the Sons of Liberty, and the British responded with the Coercive Acts and the Intolerable Acts which led to the American Rev. War. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were four punitive measures enacted by British parliament in retaliation for acts of colonial defiance. First of these was the Boston Port Bill, the second was the Massachusetts Government Act, the third was the Administration of Justice Act, and the fourth was the Coersive Act. Each of these acts restricted the colonies in some way and made hatred of British rule even stronger. -
First Continental Congress
It was formed in response to the British Parliament's enactment of the Coercive Acts in the American companies. The major players involved were Peyton Randolph, Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams, and John Jay. The meeting took place at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia where the Stamp Act was established. -
Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concord was a battle that kicked off the American Revolutionary War. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to Concord in order to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm and a fight broke out in Lexington. Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne, and Lord Percy commanded the British troops and Barret, Buttrick and Robinson commanded the Militia. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress took place in Philidelphia. Leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Lyman Hall were involved in this congress. They drafted the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, but he refused to receive it. Congress and British made attempts to reconcile, but negotiations failed when Congress refused to revoke the Declaration of Independence. Instead, they demanded peace and independence from Britian. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence VideoThe Declaration of Indepence was made by the First Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The five-man committee included Thomas Jefferson, who largely wrote it, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The declaration was a formal statement of colonies' intentions when movement for indpendence from Britain grew. Delegates started writing in June of 1776. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. It established a weak central government that mostly, but not entirely, prevented the individual states from conducting their own foreign diplomacy. John Hanson was the first president that served under the articles. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place in Philidelphia to address problems in governing America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation since independence from Britain.
