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Jun 12, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is a charter which was agreed to by Englishmen. The point of the charter was to control their ruler, King John. It concerned the peoples' freedom rights, which also protected due process. This document is valuable because it gave the majority the rights to rein in their ruler. Ideas from this document are included in the Constitution in the form of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which gives freedom to the people in many forms, particularly freedom of speech. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first contract to stray from a Monarchy type government. It was established to allow groups to make political decisions together. It "gave the common man a political voice". This caused travelers to become more united in the New World. In relation to the Constitution, "the articles that comprise the Federalist Papers warn(s) of the dangers of factions and advocates a large republic". As the Mayflower stated, republic is necessary for a functional government. -
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders was a set of rules developed by towns of Connecticut. The Orders existed to "preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel" through law. A notable decree from the Orders includes the way of voting- everyone eligible to vote for an official must bring the chosen individual's name written on a sheet of paper for ballot. Our Constitution states in Amendment XII that "..the Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot", which was inherited from the Orders. -
English Bill of Rights
The English government passed their Bill of Rights in order to preserve certain basic civil rights; such as free elections, it limits the power of Parliament and monarchs. Free elections and freedom of speech are included. Freedom is important in communities to prevent up-rise and to encourage happiness. Freedom of Speech is included in our Constitution in the First Amendment. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was a conflict which encouraged colonists' anger towards the Crown. The colonists were forced to fight in a war which they didn't agree with. Many died for a cause they were not willing to support, so anger amounted. This battle, along with several enforced taxes and laws, caused the American Revolution. From this Revolution came America's independence, and thus the Constitution of the United States. -
Albany Plan of Union
When seven representatives from the British-American colonies, the Albany plan was created. It was made to create a formal united government for the British-American colonies. The plan was adopted, however it was never carried out as a major plan. The Plan relates to our Constitution because the Constitution refers to the states as separate entities, yet as uniform republic- from the ideas of the Albany Plan of Union. -
The Acts
The Acts were a series of laws passed by Parliament.The Stamp and Sugar Acts were passed to apply taxes directly to the colonies. The Currency Act, passed in 1764, was enacted to prevent colonies from printing their own money. In protest, colonists demanded "No Taxation Without Representation". Article 1 says that “all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.” This means under no circumstances may a government tax a specific group or section of people. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates to discuss British acts against the American colonies. Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams, and John Jay attended. They discussed the Parliament's decision to enact the Coercive Acts, while forming a written opposition to it. The First Continental Congress produced protestors. Thus, the Stamp Act was eventually repealed in 1776. The constitution gives us the right to peaceful protest, so majorly opposed subjects may be repealed. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met to draft the Declaration of Independence, and other important documents. The Declaration of Independence was confirmed on the fourth of July, 1776. Thanks to the Second Continental Congress, we were freed from the British. This is important as it declares us independent from any other countries, and being independent also procures the right to decide how our own government is ran, and under which documents, which includes none other than the Constitution. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence declared 13 colonies independent from Britain. These colonies became the United States. This document is argued to be a set of principles which the Constitution of the United States is to be interpreted from. -
Shay's Rebellion
Daniel Shay rebelled against the government's tax collections from farmers amidst bad harvests, depression, and high taxes. Armed farmers protested because they were at risk of losing their farms. "Proponents of constitutional reform at the national level cited the rebellion as justification for revision or replacement of the Articles of Confederation". Despite Shay's armed rebellion, (peaceful) protest is a basic right given to the people of the US by the Constitution in the First Amendment, -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles were the first 13 colonies' of the United State's constitution. It encouraged diplomacy with Europe and dealt with land issues. This first constitution led way for our current Constitution, because the former was extremely weak. Many of the principles of the Articles of Confederation are included in the current Constitution, including a Federal type government, where the people either accepted or declined proposed laws by the central government. -
Virginia Plan
The Virginia plan was originally introduced by James Madison. He wrote this while attending the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The plan's most recognized idea was "population-weighted representation". This meant that the people should represent the States, not only the leaders. This concept is the basis of our current constitutional rights. Most importantly, the Plan called for the three current branches of government; Legislative, Judicial, and Executive. -
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan proposed many ideas; The Articles should be reviewed, the government could raise or lower taxes to regulate commerce (which is a basic right of the government in our constitution), and the government can force non-willing states to comply with laws. This concept applies to our Constitution in varying degrees, which is found in the 10th Amendment in the Constitution. -
Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths was a compromise between the Northern and Southern states during 1788. This compromise determined if slaves were counted as part of the population- for reasons concerning taxes and voting. Ultimately, it was decided that slaves were represented as three-fifths of a whole person. However unfortunate, the Compromise would lead later to the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which gave equal right to vote to men of any race.
