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Jun 19, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document from the Middle Ages which allowed for a parliamentary government. It was signed by King John of England at Runnymede near Windsor Castle. The document gave the people the right to court without money and other old English laws that were pushed aside by the idea. The image is that of the Magna Carta. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was a document that satrted a parliament in New England which set guidlines for both the Plymouth and Jamestown colonies. -
Petition of Rights
Under the Petition of Rights, no freeman would be forced to pay any tax, loan, or benevolence unless in accordance with an act of Parliament, no freeman would be imprisoned contrary to the laws of the land, soldiers and sailors wouldn't billeted on private persons, and commissions to punish soldiors or sailors by martial law would be abolished. This petition was signed by King Charles I. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was signed by King William III and Queen Mary. It gave the rights of petitioning the monarch without fear of retribution and for everyone to bare arms to the people. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was suggested by Benjamin Franklin. Although this plan never came to fruition, its idea created a very famous political cartoon - the "Join or Die" cartoon. This cartoon, like the Albany Plan of Union, was created by Benjamin Franklin. -
French Indian War
The French Indian War was not a war between the French and the Indians as the name suggests. In fact, it was a war between Great Britian and France. The major battles were those at Fort Necessity, Fort Oswego, and Fort Louisburg. After Britain's victory, the British emposed more taxes on the Americans and also kept them under a closer eye than before. -
King George III Takes Power
King George III established a standing army in America that required Americans' taxes. Becuase of the taxes having to be paid by the Americans, the colonists began to feel tension, anger, and resentment towards the British. -
Stamp Act
A pricy stamp was put on things like newspapers, pamphlets, and other public and legal documents. In response, the colonists because outraged and sometimes violent, the Stamp Act Congress was greated as was the Sons of Liberty. -
Boston Masacre
<a href='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iloGkp5f_Hk' >
A Short Video about the Boston Massacre
The Boston massacre was the fight that broke out between armed British soldiers and unarmed colonists in Boston. At this "massacre," only five colonists were killed. The quarrel was caused by the enforcement of the Townshed Acts. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was when colonists dressed as Native Americans and threw boxes and boxes of tea of of a British ship in responce to the Tea Act. It was organized by the Sons of Liberty political party and the Patriots. Because of this event, the British closed all Massachusetts ports and put the Intolerable Acts into place. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were the British response to the Boston Tea Party. Under these acts, all of Boston's ports were closed, the royal governer of each colony was allowed to move the trial of a suspect to Britian, and British soldiers could take residence in an American home without consent from the owner, as seen in the image. -
First Continental Congress
At the First Continental Congress, appearances were made by George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Edmund Pendleton, Benjamin Harrison, Richard Bland, and Peyton Randolph. They established a course for their congress as a statement of principles common to all of the colonies. This meeting took place in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
Second Constitutional Congress
The Second Constitutional Congressas, seen in the image and, like the first, took place in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. At this second meeting, the idea of breaking away from Great Britian was decided, and the Declaration of Independence was written and signed there. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock were all in attendance. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord was a catalyst for the American Revolution. The British soldiers, or "redcoats", were under the leadership of General Thomas Gage and Major John Pitcairne. The American "minutemen" fought under Colonel James Barrett and John Parker. Paul Revere had to warn the villages en route to Concord of the coming British forces. -
Declaration of Independence
<a href='http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/DeclarInd.html' >
A Timeline Of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was the document which stated the United States were to be under their own government and separate from Britian. -
Articles of Confederation
<a href='http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html' >
A "History" of the Articles of Confederation.
A loose set of laws to govern the newly independant America. Under this document, John Hanson would be the first president of the Congress. -
Treaty of Paris
The USA was represented by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. The Area from between the Alleghany mountains and the Mississippi river became part of the US' land, and the British finally accepted the Declaration of Independence. -
Start of Constitutional Convention
The Annapolis Convention was a meeting which only representatives from 5 of the 13 states attended to revise and beef up the Articles of Confederation. The Convention was to strenthen the government by revising the Articles of Conferderation, instead, they ended writing the US Consitution.
