-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
Translation of Magna Carta also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England. Drawing inspiration from the Charter of Liberties in 1100 when King Henry I placed limits on himself, the Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges. Barons of King John signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede, on the bank of the Thames River. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the Separatists fleeing from religious persecution by King James of Great Britain. Storms forced them to anchor at the hook of Cape Cod in what is now Massachusetts. This inspired some of the passengers to form a government based upon a majoritarian model in allegiance to the King in order to prevent rebellion. -
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. No person should be forced to provide a gift, loan or tax without an Act of Parliament, that no free individual should be imprisoned or detained unless a cause has been shown, and that soldiers or members of the Royal Navy should not be billeted in private houses without the free consent of the owner. Charles I signed the document. -
English Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is an act proposed by the Parliament of England. King William and Queen Mary signed the Bill of Rights. The rights that were given to the people are, no royal interference with the law, no taxation by Royal Prerogative, freedom to petition the monarch without fear of retribution, no standing army may be maintained during a time of peace without the consent of parliament. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin suggested a plan for the leaders of all 13 colonies to meet and come up with legislation for all the colonies. Although this never happened, the Plan represented an early attempt to form a union of the colonies "under one government as far as might be necessary for defense and other general important purposes." Benjamin Franklin created the "Join or Die" political cartoon in his Gazette pamphlet for this. -
French and Indian War
Large conflict between England and France that spilled over into their colonies in North America. Many of the battles were fought over th Ohio River Valley, with key battles in Loiusbourg, Fort Frontenec and Quebec. England ultimately won this war with the Treaty of Paris signed in February 10, 1763, beginning their recovery process by implementing taxes upon the colonies. This began a bitter tension between the two sides that ultimately led to war. -
King George III takes power
Upon assuming power, King George III instigated a series of military conflicts with the rest of Europe. Upon winning the French and Indian War, After the French and Indian War, King George III saw the colonies as a way to pay for the war and used multiple tariffs to get large amounts of money to pay for the war, but made King George III look like a tyrant. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. It required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were all taxed. Colonial leaders were furious about no taxation without representation. Mob violence broke out to intimidate the tax collectors. -
Boston Massacre
Five colonists were killed and six injured when British soldiers opened fire on a mob of protesters who were throwing snowballs in protest against the Townshend Acts. John Adams successfully pinned this event against the British soldiers as the crime of manslaughter and later Paul Revere would illustrate the event so all could see. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty, organized by Samuel Adams, organized a riot in Boston when the colonists borded a ship owned by the East India Company, which controlled all tea imports to the colonies, and proceeded to toss all the crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. The British were furious by the rebellious nature of the colonists and passed the Coercive Acts soon afterwards. -
Intolerable Acts
Intolerable ActsIn order to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts. All Boston ports were closed until the tea lost was reimbursed. Colonists couldn't hold meetings or consensus. Britain could house troops in the homes of the colonists. British officials accused of crimes could stand trial in Britian instead of in the colonies. General Thomas Gage would become military governor of the Province of Massaschusetts Bay. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting was held among the colonies on their response to British law, specifically the Coercive Acts. Delegates from the thirteen colonies with the exception of Georgia, who wished for British aid for their Indian problems, met at Carpenter Hall, Philadelphia. Included were men like John Adams, John Jay and George Washington. Together they created a petition to King George III to repeal the Coercive Acts. Each colony was suggested to train a militia as well. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first conflict of the American Revolution. The British won and many soldiers lost their lives as a result. Major commanders involved were Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne, and Lord Percy. Paul Revere rode into towns and villages warning people that the British were coming, giving the local militias enough time to prepare themselves. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress took place in the summer of 1775. At this meeting, delegates from the 13 colonies convened to discuss breaking away from Great Britain after the start of the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Hancock were involved with these debates. -
Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, John Adams, and Robert R. Livingston and adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, there were three major parts of the Declaration of Independence: legitamacy of revolution, principles concerning the rights of man and grievances against King George III, and the formal claim of independence. Now at war with Great Britain, the thirteen American colonies now regard themselves as independent from the British Empire. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation acted as the United States' first constitution. It was established among the thirteen colonies the America would become a confederation of sovereign states. It granted the Continental Congress the right to conduct diplomacy. However, the government was weak and had no power to coin money, impose taxes, or maintain a national court system to protect the rights of US citizens. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on one side and the United States of America and its allies on the other. Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens, and John Adams represented the United States.The boundary of the United States was formally established to be bound on the north by Canada, on the south by Spanish Florida, on the west by the Mississippi River, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. -
Start of Consitutional Convention
Taking place from May 25, 1787 to September 15, 1787 in Philadelphia, delegates called for a constitutional convention to revise issues of governing the United States, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation. A major dispute was the composition of the Senate, and how states should be represented. James Madison presented his Virginia Plan, which made representation proportional to population. The New Jersey Plan countered this by giving each state only one vote.
