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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta, written by King John, is one of the most famous documents around the world. It was the first document to ever limit the power of a king. It also guaranteed landowners that they wouldn't be unfairly taxed. -
Jamestown Settled
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America, specifically Virginia, in 1607. The government, language, culture, etc. that started here are an important part of American history. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was written on the Mayflower by men who were separated into class groups such as "saints" and "strangers". It's significance is that it was the cornerstone of all future significant US Documents, such as the US Constitution. It addressed the principles of basic human rights, which was the first document to address the worth of all people. -
Petition of Right
The Petition of Right was the first document that addressed what human rights the king may not infringe. The government was not happy with the king's refusal to listen to his people, so they decided to document what he couldn't restrict on people. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights was written in England on December 16, 1689. The Bill addressed separation of powers, limited the powers of the king, enhanced the democratic election and also promoted freedom of speech. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies. Although it was never carried out, it was the first document to recommend that the colonies be whole under one government instead of separated. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament. It required all American colonists to pay a tax on all papers. So for legal documents, ship's papers, licenses, newspapers, etc., they had to pay a tax. It was a direct attempt from England to raise funds. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the killing of five colonists from tension that had been growing since two years before. It was the spark of the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. They were against the tax that had been placed on tea. This event resulted in the passage of the punitive Coercive Acts in 1774 and pushed the two sides closer to war. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were made up of the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quebec Act. The Intolerable Acts were meant to punish the colonists for their defiance of throwing tea overboard during the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was the very first gathering of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss British Parliament's enactment of the Coercive Acts. The meeting had two accomplishments: A compact among the colonies to boycott British goods and then to plan a meeting for a second congress. -
American Revolution begins
The Battles of Lexington and Concord kicked off the American Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a follow-up from the First Continental Congress. This is where Thomas Jefferson rough drafted the Declaration of Independence. At the end of it, they decided to declare the start of the American Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was the first document to address the goals and ideals of our nation. It was signed by the members of the Continental Congress. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first original constitution of the United States. It addressed the need for states to stay sovereign and independent. Congress was also given the authority to make treaties and alliances, maintain armed forces and coin money. -
Shays' Rebellion
A series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt. Although farmers took up arms in states from New Hampshire to South Carolina, the rebellion was most serious in Massachusetts, where bad harvests, economic depression, and high taxes threatened farmers with the loss of their farms. The rebellion took its name from Daniel Shays of Massachusetts, former captain in the Continental army. -
Constitution Convention
Delegates from five states called for a Constitutional Convention in order to discuss possible improvements to the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia. -
Philadelphia Convention
The Philadelphia Convention, also referred to as the Constitutional Convention, was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, the conclusion was to write the Constitution of the United States. This made the event one of the most significant in American history. -
Connecticut Compromise
Also known as the Great Compromise, it was an agreement that large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature along with proportional representation in the lower house, but required the upper house to be weighted equally between the states. Each state would have two reps in the upper house.
