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1215
Magna Carta
King John signed the Magna Carta. It included taxation and trial provisions. It also outlined individual rights that the king could not violate. -
Mayflower Compact
The first governing document of the Plymouth Colony. Was written by the male passengers of the Mayflower. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights passed, which guaranteed free speech and protection from cruel and unusual punishment. -
The Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a theatre of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes -
Stamp Act
First direct tax on paper goods and legal documents; Stamp Act Congress met to protest the tax and it was repealed -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers shot and killed 5 colonists after being harassed by a mob. -
Boston Tea Party
Revolutionaries dumped British tea into the harbor as a political protest -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. The laws were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in the Tea Party protest in reaction to changes in taxation by the British Government -
Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence is the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -
Shay's Rebellion
An armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes both on individuals and their trades -
3/5 Compromise
Counted population of states with each slave worth 3/5 of a person -
Northwest Ordinance
Established a plan for settling the Northwest Territory; Included disputed lands; Created system for admitting states to the Union; Banned slavery in the territory; Guided nation’s western expansion -
Judiciary Act
Established a Three-tiered Judicial Structure: District courts, Circuit courts, and Supreme court -
Dual Federalism
Both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence -
Chief Justice John Marshall
Began to expand the power of the Supreme Court -
Marbury v. Madison
Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Maryland taxed the national bank; Court ruled bank was necessary and proper; Maryland couldn’t tax bank b/c it could weaken the national government; "The power to tax is the power to destroy." -
Gibbons vs Ogden
Right of a state legislature to award a monopoly to operate a steamship line between NY and NJ -
Seneca Falls Convention
First national woman's rights convention in the US
Called for equal rights in voting, education, and property -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Court said that Scott, as an African-American and previously property, was not a citizen ; Gave him no legal standing to sue -
Morrill Act
Granted large tracts of land to states; states sold land and used money for colleges -
Doctrine of nullification
States had the right to nullify (cancel) national laws that they believed contradicted state interests -
Doctrine of secession
States had the right to separate themselves from the Union -
Susan B. Anthony
Refused to support the 15th amendment (equal voting rights regardless of race) because it didn’t extend voting rights to women -
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Ended Chinese immigration to the US -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Ruled segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal; “Separate but equal” doctrine -
16th Amendment
Gave Congress authority to set a federal income tax; Main source of US income -
19th Amendment
Women were not guaranteed the right to vote until passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 -
Cooperative Federalism
States and national governments worked together to deal with the Great Depression -
United States v. Miller
Ruled 2nd Amendment does not protect the right to have all types of weapons -
Minersville School District v. Gobitis
The Supreme Court ruled that a child could be expelled for refusing to salute the American flag or recite the pledge (these actions violated the child’s religious beliefs) -
United States v. Darby
Upheld Fair Labor Standards Act; Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate employment conditions -
Executive Order 9066
FDR required all people of Japanese descent on the West Coast to report to "War Relocation Centers" (internment camps); 120,000 left their homes and businesses and 80,000 remained in camps until the war was over.; Korematsu v. United States (1944) upheld this order. -
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
The court reversed itself and decided unity was not a sufficient reason to overrule religious beliefs -
Korematsu v. the United States
Upheld involuntary internment of ethnically Japanese American citizens -
National Security Council
Coordinates national security policy and brings together the top military, foreign affairs, and intelligence officials in the administration -
Brown v. Board
Ruled segregation is illegal; "Separate is inherently unequal" -
Civil Rights act of 1957
Women were guaranteed the right to serve on a jury -
Civil Rights Act of 1960
Empowered the federal government to actively engage in voter registration in places where voting discrimination had been found -
Great Society
Government program to eliminate poverty and social inequality; Johnson created creative federalism, which released national funds to achieve national goals.; If states didn’t cooperate, they would lose federal funding. -
Edwards v. South Carolina
187 African-American students gathered at the state capitol to protest racial injustice; Students did not end the protest when police told them to and were arrested; Court said the state had no authority to disperse the students, as they were protesting legally -
Equal Pay Act of 1963
Established equal pay for men and women -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin in voting, employment, and public accommodations; Passed under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, so businesses had to follow the law as well -
Miranda v. Arizona
Expanded rights of people accused of crimes; “Miranda Rights” -
Loving v. Virginia
Struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage -
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Protects applicants and employees of 40+ years old from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, privileges, etc. of employment. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Schools couldn’t prevent students from protesting the Vietnam War -
War Powers Resolution
President must consult with Congress before sending troops and Congress can force the president to end use of military with a concurrent resolution -
New Federalism
Returned some authority to state governments; Cut national grant money and relaxed national requirements -
Harlow v. Fitzgerald
Established the rationale for qualified immunity -
Tennessee v. Garner
Limited police use of lethal force -
Graham v. Connor
Juries must consider if the officer believed force was reasonable -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. -
Homeland Security
Reorganization of agencies already in place: Law enforcement, Border security, Transportation, TSA (Transportation Security Administration), Immigration, CBP (Customs and Border Protection), Secret Service, Coast Guard -
D.C. v. Heller
Ruled 2nd Amendment right to bear arms includes the right to self defense -
District of Columbia v. Heller
Ruled the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for self-defense -
McDonald v. Chicago
Ruled 2nd Amendment applies to federal, state, and local governments; upheld 2nd Amendment -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Ruled states must grant and recognize same-sex marriage -
Trump v. Hawaii
Court ruled a ban on immigration from majority-Muslim countries did not violate the Establishment Clause
