-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magana Carta was the first document for a King of England that limited the king's power and protected the subjects. It was signed by King John of England in a field at Runnymede property. It gave citizens the rights to own and inherit property. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTr1nKVZBcI -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first document for governing the Plymouth Colony. The purpose of this document was to have a social contract to follow the compact's rules for survival. http://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/homework-help/mayflower-and-mayflower-compact -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights is an English document created to set out liberties of the people that the king is prohibited from infringing. Among these rights were non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts use of military law. Charles I signed this document. http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/petitionofright.htm -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights put a limit on the power of the crown and set up rights of Parliament. Also, stated rules for freedom of speech in Parliament. William and Mary were involved in the signing of this document. It gave the people freedom to petition the monarch without punishment. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was fought between New France and the colonies of British America. The Battle of Fort Bull was a major victory for the French side as they destroyed many British supplies. The British Forces prevented the French ships from entering Canada in the Battle of the Restigouche. The war officially ended and the British won with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Britain's debt doubled, and they taxed the colonies This eventually led to the start of the Revolutionary War. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was created to create a government that would unify the Thirteen Colonies. It was suggested by Benjamin Franklin. The plan was never actually passed. A cartoon of a cut up snake with a caption, JOIN or DIE, is used to represent this plan. -
King George III takes power
Following the French and Indian War, King George III issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763. Included in this proclamation, the land west of the Appalachian Mountains was reserved to Indian population. It also prevented civic participation by Roman Catholic Canadians. This concerned the Thirteen Colonies, which were largely Protestant. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax imposed by the British Parliament on printed materials, such as legal documents and newspapers, requiring them to be produced on stamped paper from London. Much resistance was met from the colonies with the passage of this act, both peacefully in the form of petitions, and non-peacefully in the form of protests turned violent. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident where the British Army shot and killed 5 unarmed civilains. They also injured 6 others. The Stamp Act and Townshend Acts led to this massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest organized by the Sons of Liberty. They were protesting the East India Company that was putting a tax on all tea imported to the 13 Colonies. The protesters dumped barrles of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the taxes. The British responded by closing the port of Boston and enforcing other acts more strictly. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament for the Thirteen Colonies. They were passed as a punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They took away Masachusetts' rights and eventually led to the American Revolution. The provisions of these acts were the Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, and Quartering Act. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies, excluding Georgia. The fifty-six delegates (including John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and George Washignton) met at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss how they would handle the Intolerable Acts. Major outcomes of this meeting include a boycott of British goods, as well as the promise of a Second Continental Congress if sentiments continued to digress. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. They essentially began the revolution. William Heath and Francis Smith were some of the the major generals involved in the battles. Paul Revere warned the people of Boston that the British were coming. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting between the Thirteen Colonies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ideas such as the Declaration of Independence and governing the United States came about at this meeting. Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson led the meeting and discussion of the Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a statement from America written by the Continental Congress. At the time, the 13 colonies were at war with Great Britain. This declaration regarded those 13 colonies as independent states from Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation is an agreement drafted by the Continental Congress. These articles established a confederation of sovereign states that was made up of the 13 colonies. The first president under the Articles was John Hanson. -
Start of Consitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and adressed problems with the governing of the United States. The goal was to create a new government.
