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1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document King John of 1199 was forced to sign, stating that nobody is above the law after his mistreatment of nobles. This lead to a rebellion and the forced signing of the Magna Carta. The document was signed in England and the name "Magna Carta" was Latin for "Great Charter". With the signing of the Magna Carta, the rebellion of the nobles died down leading to many stopping with their leader starting to be held to the same standards they held their citizens to. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was an early form of Self Government as it was a governmental document that 43 colonists signed being the first established form of democracy in the colonies of New England. The compact stated that the government officials would make just and fair laws for the citizens of the colony. following majority rule, it stated the most common policy was the one to be taken. This lead to citizens of the colony meeting at town halls for meetings and lawmaking. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill Of Rights raised parliaments abilities staing that the King couldn't create special courts, impose taxes or raise an army without parliaments consent. It also stated that members would have free speech during trials and lawmaking cases. This document was one of the stepping stones leading towards the current governmental system of the UK. This document was made and signed in England after being pushed on the King by Parliament. -
Cato's Letters
Cato's Letters were papers written by two anonymous writers in protest for free speech demanding freedom of speech. These letters lead to people's outcry as well as demanding freedom of speech. This was one of the first instances of outcry of citizens demanding freedom of speech. -
Mercantilism
Mercantilism is an economic theory stating that trade generates wealth and that if one is trading they should always be selling more than they are buying. This was started by British colonists as they were large traders. Mercantilism started the movement of global trade routes. -
French/ Indian War
The French and Indian war was a long costly war between Britain and France which resulted in Britain losing lots of money but gaining power and territory. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act was when Britain added a mandatory tax to stamps on all newspapers and legal documents to compensate for the French and Indian war. This increased poverty and disapproval levels of the colonists towards their rulers ultimately leading to a colonist boycott in America. -
Declaratory Act
The declaratory act stated that parliament had the right to tax the American colonies and colonists in all circumstances which lead to greater outrage in the growing disapproving colonists. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend act levied taxes to the colonies on items that previously had low or no taxes on them leading to another boycott similar to the previous stamp acts. -
Boston Massacre
A patriot mob was throwing stones, snowballs and other small objects at soldiers in a street fight which lead to several citizens dying and creating outrage in the colonists eventually going on to march and create campaigns even creating lies and bias on some occasion about what happened. -
Tea Act
The tea act reduced taxes on tea importing from other countries to the American colonists leading to greater outrage and an eventual blocking of all east Indian ships attempting to import tea. -
Intolerable Acts/ Coercive Acts
In response to the Boston tea party the British rulers created the Coercive acts, restricting colonists' rights even removing the right to trial by jury. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists dressed up as Native Americans and dumped 342 chests of British tea into a harbor, this was enough tea to last roughly 20 years for the colonies equaling millions of dollars in today's values. As a result, Parliament passed the coercive acts. -
First Continental Congress
The first continental congress was created when the American colonists were demanding more rights and freedom leading to the congress being made and was one of the earliest forms of self-government in the colonies. -
Lexington and Concord
These two battles were the first of the revolutionary war sparking the fire that would soon become the war between the colonists and Britain. -
Second Continental Congress
The second continental congress was a meeting of delegates from 13 colonies in America uniting the colonies during the revolutionary war. -
Common Sense
The pamphlet "Common Sense" was written by Thomas Paine stating that splitting away from Britain and demanding complete independence. Starting a snowball effect it played a large role in the separation of the colonies and the British empire. As a result, by the end of 1776 half of the colonists agreed with Paine and wanted to split away from Britain. -
The Declaration of Independance
A document written primarily by Thomas Jefferson was a document officially announcing America's independence from Britain, ultimately resulting in the full freedom of the American colonies.
