The Timeline Of American Government

By AJ5528
  • 1500 BCE

    Moses

    In the Old Testament, Moses divinely received the Ten Commandments.
    Moses calls for the law to apply equally to all people, even kings, and sets forth rules for a fair trial.
  • 600 BCE

    Old Testament

    The biblical idea of a covenant, an ancient Jewish term meaning a special kind of agreement between people and God, influenced the formation of colonial governments and contributed to our constitutional structure.
  • 100

    New Testament

    The biblical idea of a covenant, an ancient Jewish term meaning a special kind of agreement between people and God, influenced the formation of colonial governments and contributed to our constitutional structure.
  • 1215

    The Magna Carta

    In 1215, English nobles were upset with the oppressive policies of King John.
    His oppressive policies included unfair taxation and cruel treatment of prisoners.
    They forced him to sign a document - the Magna Carta - recognizing their rights.

  • The Mayflower Compact

    The Pilgrims governed themselves by a written contract between themselves.
    This would be a huge influence on our government and Constitution.

  • The Constitution of Connecticut

    The Constitution of Connecticut had a huge influence on the Founders of America.

  • English Bill of Rights

    Even after the signing of the Magna Carta, power struggles between the monarch and Parliament (England’s law making body) persisted for more than 400 years.
    In 1688, the English Parliament removed King James II from the throne with little resistance
    The Parliament chose two new monarchs who recognized the Parliament as supreme:
    William III
    Mary II

  • House of Lords

    The members of the upper chamber were the first sons of noble families and later members who inherited their positions.
    The US Senate is the upper chamber in the American Congress.

  • House of Commons

    The members of the lower chamber were elected and were often the younger sons of noble families or wealthy commoners.
    The US House of Representatives is the lower chamber in the American Congress.

  • The Enlightenment

    An intellectual movement concentrated in France during the 1700s.
    A group of philosophers including John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Voltaire, sought to apply the rights of scientific inquiry to study human society.
    They developed rational laws to describe social behavior and applied their finding in support of human rights (natural rights) and liberal economic theories.

  • The French and Indian War 1754-1763

    A struggle between French and British over lands in what is now western Pennsylvania and Ohio led to the start of the war.
    The war was very costly and Britain was left with a huge debt.

  • The Stamp Act

    To pay for the war, the king and his ministers levied taxes on tea, sugar, glass, paper, and other products.

  • English Common Law

    This was used in the courts of England since the Middle Ages.
    Common law and its commentaries is based on custom, usages, and general principles found in court decisions that serve as precedents to be applied to situations not covered by statutory law.

  • The Boston Tea Party

    A group of colonists, dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped

    342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor.

  • The First Continental Congress

    On September 5, 1774, delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia for the Congress.
    Their purpose was to decide what to do about the relationship with Great Britain. Colonials leaders and debaters present were Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee & George Washington

  • The Second Continental Congress

    Within three weeks, delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress in May 1775.

  • The Declaration of Independence

    Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration explained the reasons the American colonies were angry and justified about the revolution.

  • Thirteen English Colonies

  • The Articles of Confederation

    The plan was called the Articles of Confederation and didn’t go into ineffective immediately because it had to be approved by all thirteen states.

  • The Constitution of the United States

    The Constitution of the United States established America's national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.