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Jun 15, 1215
The Magna Carta/The Great Charter
On June 15, 1215 the King's Nobles rebeled and forced the King to sign the Magna Carta which put no one over the law. This document also protected the Noble's authority, gave rights to landowners, gave equal treatment under the law, gave a trial by one's peers, and limited the power of the monarch. -
Mercantilism
Mercantilism was used during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. Mercantilism was the most used economic system during this time period, the main goal of it was to increase the nations wealth by the government regulating all commerical imports. -
Jamestown Colony
This was the first colony to settle in America. They settled in Jamestown, Virginia on May 14, 1607. -
House of Burgess
The House of Burgess first met on July 30, 1619 at the Church of Jamestown. The council usually met once a year and was made up of 22 members, one being the governor, and others being landowners and important people. Their job was to make laws for the area, which the governor could veto. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was signed on November 11, 1620. This compact established a direct democracy for the Pilgrims/Puritians. When they got to America they realized their need for government so that's how the Mayflower Compact came to be. -
Plymouth Colony
This was the second settlement in America. Puritians settled here on December 26, 1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. -
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
This was the democratic principle of government based on the will of the people. Thomas Hooker played a role in this. This was the first written Constitution of a democratic government. -
Culpeper's Rebellion
Culpepers Rebellion lasted from July 1677 to 1679. During this rebellion colonist were protesting the Navigation Acts, which denied them a free market. This rebellion was led by John Culpeper and George Durant. They conviened a legislature, made Culpeper the governor, and ran the colony in the Albemarle, North Carolina region for two years. Culpeper was removed from the colony and tried for treason but was never punished. -
Glorious Revolution
This was called the "Bloodless Revolution". This revolution was the result of James II being a Catholic king in a mainly Protestant country. As a result James II was dethroned, and Mary II and William III of Orange was pronounced king and queen. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was passed on Dec. 16, 1689. This gave the right to petition and restricted the monarch from: suspending Parliements laws, creating special courts, imposing or raising taxes, and any army without Parliements' consent. -
Salem Witch Trials
From June 1682 to September 1692 Salem Village, Massachusetts was full of chaos as the Salem Witch Trials took place. Nineteen men and women were hung for witchcraft, one elderly man was crushed to death under stones for not admitting to witchcraft, hundreds were accused, and dozens ended up serving time in prison. -
The Great Awakening
This was a series of religious revivals of Protestants in American colonies from 1725 to 1770. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War took place in Europe, India, and North America. Sweden, Austria, and France wanted to crush Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The English and French battled over control of North America, the Carribbean, and in India. The English won but after the war they had so much debt it nearly destroyed their government. The war ended on October 7, 1763. -
Albany Plan of Union
This was a plan written by Benjamin Franklin for all thirteen colonies to unite and fight as one power to win the French and Indian War. This plan was written on Janurary 1, 1754. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
This was the uprising of American Indian tribes in the Great Lakes region wanting to drive the British soldiers out of the region. Pontiac was the chief so he lead the rebellion, hence the name "Pontiac's Rebellion." -
Proclamation Line of 1763
The Proclamation Line closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. The King did this to calm the Native Americans because they feared that the colonist would take their land as they expanded westward. -
Sugar/Revenue Act of 1764
On April 5, 1764 Parliement passed a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733. This act reduced the tax rate on molasses from six pence to three pence, also listed more foriegn goods to be taxed, and regulated export. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by British Parliement on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all Americans for every piece of paper used. The money collected was used to defend the frontier. -
Virginia Resolves
This included several documents, (six) that were adopted by the Virginia House of Burgesses on May 29, 1765. The most important document involved explaining the Stamp Act. -
Sons of Liberty
This was Samual Adams group of rebels who dressed up as Mohawk Indians during the Boston Tea Party. They officially formed on August 14, 1765. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act imposed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. The taxes were used to pay colonial governors, judges, customs officers, and the British army. Colonists protested violently to this act and eventually had it removed on everything but tea. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occured on March 5, 1770. The Twenty-Ninth Regiment was coming to relieve the Eighth British regiment on duty at the Customs House on King Street. They were met by a large crowd of civilians who chanted, "Fire and be damned!' While Captain Preston of the Eighth Regiment yelled "Don't fire!" but his orders were not heard so there was much bloodshed. Five colonist died, three instantly and two later. -
The Gaspee Incident
The Gaspee was a British Royal Navy ship that was assigned to customs duty. On June 9, 1772 the Gaspee was chasing a ship that the crew thought was smuggling goods. That next night, men boarded the ship, wounded the lieutenant, and set the ship on fire. These "men" were searched and searched for, but no one was every charged with the crime. -
Committees of Correspondance
This is when colonists would organize groups to pass new from one colony to the next about England violating their rights. This Committee formed on March 12, 1773. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was passed on May 10, 1773. This act was designed to help the East India Company sell their eighteen million pounds of unsold tea. This act upset colonists because they thought this act was just to buy support for the taxes already in place. -
Boston Tea Party
On Dec. 16, 1773, seven thousand locals stormed the wharf. A comittee was chosen to take the message that no payment should be made to the ships, should be taken to the Customs House. The Collector of Customs refused this task. In response, 200 men dressed themselves as Indians and marched two by two to the wharf. The invaded three ships and dumped the tea into the harbor . -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were act that basically just punished the colonists. The King passed them beginning on May 20, 1774 and continued to pass them until March 1765. Included in the Intolerable Acts was the Quebec Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, the Quartering Act and the Boston Port Bill. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met from September 5-October 26, 1774. This group would meet in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania. The specific jobs of the Congress were unclear, but all members wanted to make the King and Parliement understand the grievences of the colonists. All of the colonies sent delegates except Georgia to be apart of this Congress. These delegate were elected by the people. -
Edenton Tea Party
On October 25, 1774 Ms. Penelope Barker organized a meeting of 51 women in Edenton, North Carolina at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth King. Here they all formed an alliance against "taxiation without representation." -
Mecklenburg Resolves
This was a document saying:
All laws orginiating from Parliement or the King no longer applied to Americans, the royal military and civil officials were suspended, colonies were to govern themselves through provincial congresses, and royal officials continuing duty in North Carolina were to be arrested. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met for the first time on June 15, 1775. All colonies sent delegates to this Congress, even Georgia but not until late fall. This Congress assumed control of the army encamped outside Boston and appointed four majors. They also made the Olive Branch Petition and the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. They also attempted in paying off debt by issuing paper certificates and borrowing from domestic and foriegn sources. -
Halifax Resolves
This was the first official action of calling for independance. This resolve was directed at all the colonies and their delegates to support the cause and to get their rights back and to be independant from Britian. This helped lead up to the signing of the Declaration of Independance. -
Declaration of Independance
This was the document that declared our Independance from Britian. This document was signed by 56 men representing our nation. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was held on July 4, 1776 at the Pennslyvania State House. Here the Declaration of Independance was signed, but not before a long debate took place. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were passed by Congress on November 15, 1777 but were not ratified by all states until March 1, 1781. This document created a loose confederation of the sovereign states and a weak central government. This document left most power within the state governments. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty of Paris was signed by George III on this day. This treaty was the formal ending to the U.S. War to Independance. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay represented the United States in signing the Treaty. This treaty also established U.S. boundaries, fishing rights, allowed creditors of each country to be paid by other citizens, restored rights and property of the Loyalists, opened up the Mississippi River to citizens of the nations, and provided the evacuation of the British. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
This document made locating and diposing to land in the west into townships. This was passed on May 20, 1785. -
Shay's Rebellion
In Shay's Rebellion a group of farmers rebel against paying such high taxes. As word spread the Rebellion grows to a few thousand people, who are eventually defeated. -
Land Ordinance of 1787
This was the first organzied territory in America. This established the precendent of westward expansion by admitting new states. This was passed on July 13, 1787. -
Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers
These papers included speeches, articles, abd arguments for and against the Constitution. (For the Constitution being Federalist and against the Constitution being Anti-Federalist.) -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers in the western colonies of Pennslyvania became angry at the high taxes on whiskey, letting them make no profit on one of their very important cash crops. This group would attack certain agents to make their point. George Washington put a stop to this by bringing in the milita and issued a proclamation to return the westerners to their homes.
