History

US Government Timeline - KB

  • 1215

    Limited Government

    Limited Government
    The limited government began in 1215 when King John signed the Magna Carta
  • House of Burgesses

    House of Burgesses
    The Jamestown's House of Burgesses was established.
  • Mayflower Compact

    Mayflower Compact
    Each charter on the mayflower guaranteed colonists the "rights of Englishmen"
  • Petition of Rights

    Petition of Rights
    King Charles required to sign the Petition of Rights
  • King Charles Beheaded

    King Charles Beheaded
    Extended conflict between Charles and parliament erupted into civil war.
  • Rebellion between the crown and parliament

    Rebellion between the crown and parliament
    Renewed conflicts and rebellion between the crown and parliament.
  • William and Mary Chosen

    William and Mary Chosen
    William and Mary chosen to rule, but had to govern according to statues of parliament.
  • English Bill of Rights passed

    English Bill of Rights passed
    Guaranteed freedom of speech and protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
  • Period: to

    Taxes

    During these two years there were taxes placed on good duch as paper goods and legal documents, as well others, being created as the Sugar Act and Stamp Act.
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre
    British soldiers fired into a crowd and 5 colonists died.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    Revolutionaries dumped British Tea into the harbor due to taxes on this tea.
  • Intolerable Acts

    Intolerable Acts
    Colonists were forced to "Quarter", or house, British troops
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    Likely drawn from Virginia Declaration of Rights and inspired by John Locke, blamed the King for a variety of issues in the Colonies, signed by the delegates to the Second Continental Congress on August 2, 1776.​
  • Articles of Confederation

    Articles of Confederation
    This confederation was the first national government, in which colonies kept their "sovereignty, freedom, and independence", although it had very little powers.
  • Northwest Ordinance

    Northwest Ordinance
    This agreement established a plan for settling the Northwest Territory, which included disputed lands, created system for admitting states to the Union, banned slavery in the territory, and guided nation’s western expansion
  • Growth of Mass Media

    Growth of Mass Media
    The Federalist Paper Gazette of the United States was published.
  • Judiciary Act

    Judiciary Act
    Established a Three-tiered Judicial Structure
  • Period: to

    Dual Federalism

    Both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence
    Strict reading
    National government only had powers listed in Constitution
  • Period: to

    Dual Federalism

    Both state and national governments were equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence, strict reading, national government only had powers listed in Constitution
  • Newspaper and Media

    Newspaper and Media
    Whigs countered with National Gazette.
  • Bill of Rights

    Bill of Rights
    This document was ratified in 1791, with 17 amendments passed, and the Constitution has provided a stable, flexible government
  • Period: to

    Chief Justice John Marshall

    John Marshall became Chief Justice and began to expand the power of the Supreme Court
  • Marbury v. Madison

    Marbury v. Madison
    Power of judicial review
  • Amendment

    Amendment
    The 12th amendment allows the President to choose the V.P.
  • McCulloch v. Maryland

    McCulloch v. Maryland
    Maryland taxed the national bank and couldn't tax bank b/c it could weaken the national govt.
  • Gibbons v. Ogden

    Gibbons v. Ogden
    A court case was held that established the principle that states cannot, by legislative enactment, interfere with the power of Congress to regulate commerce, especially by steamship.
  • Seneca Falls Convention

    Seneca Falls Convention
    First national women's rights convention in the US, this called for equal rights in voting, education, and property.
  • Dred Scott v. Sanford

    Dred Scott v. Sanford
    Dred Scott, a slave who sued for his and his family's freedom after being taken to a free state, was denied his citizenship and stated as property.
  • Morill Act

    Morill Act
    Granted large tracts of land to states; states sold land and used money for colleges
  • Period: to

    Reconstruction

    Reconstruction took place during this time, as the Supreme Court narrowly interpreted the 13th-15th amendments
  • Wyoming Territory

    Wyoming Territory
    This area was the first to grant women the right to vote
  • Period: to

    Population

    Population of the US doubled between these times.
  • The Chinese Exclusion Act

    The Chinese Exclusion Act
    This act ended Chinese immigration to the U.S.
  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    Plessy v. Ferguson
    This case ruled segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal; "Separate but equal" doctrine
  • 17th Amendment

    17th Amendment
    Congress passed an amendment in the Constitution of the United States that provided for the direct election of the U.S. senators by the voters of the states.
  • Media and Entertainment

    Media and Entertainment
    Radio became the first form of electronic media
  • Native American Citizenship

    Native American Citizenship
    Native Americans were granted citizenship
  • Representative Count

    Representative Count
    The total number of Representatives per state was fixed by law at 435.
  • Period: to

    Cooperative Federalism

    States and national governments worked together to deal with the Great Depression
    Many cases about FDR's New Deal reached the Supreme Court
  • Period: to

    Cooperative Federalism

    States and national governments worked together to deal with the Great Depression, many cases about FDR's New Deal reached the Supreme Court.
  • Period: to

    The New Deal Era

    The New Deal Era brought many things, but the court saw Roosevelt's economic legislation as an assault on property rights and ruled that some programs violated the Constitution.
  • Period: to

    Roosevelt's Presidency

    Roosevelt served 12 years as president and packed the court with nominees that supported expansion of govt. power
  • United States v. MIller

    United States v. MIller
    This case ruled that the 2nd Amendment does not protect the right to have all types of weapons
  • United States v. Darby

    United States v. Darby
    This case upheld Fair Labor Standards Act; Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate employment conditions
  • Executive Order 9066

    Executive Order 9066
    FDR required all people of Japanese descent on the West Coast to report to "War Relocation Centers" (internment camps)
  • Korematsu v. the United States

    Korematsu v. the United States
    Upheld involuntary internment of ethnically Japanese American citizens
  • National Security Council

    National Security Council
    The National Security Council was created.
  • Media

    Media
    Television replaced radio as most influential electronic media
  • Period: to

    Benefits of Interest Groups

    Give minority interests voice in the political process, such as civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    This case ruled the segregation is illegal and created "Separate is inherently unequal"
  • Period: to

    Great Society

    Government program to eliminate poverty and social inequality.
    Johnson created creative federalism, which released national funds to achieve national goals.
  • Civil Rights Act

    Civil Rights Act
    Banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin in voting, employment, and public accommodations. This act was passed under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, so businesses had to follow the law as well.
  • Miranda v. Arizona

    Miranda v. Arizona
    This case expanded the rights of people accused of crimes, "Miranda Rights"
  • Loving v. Virginia

    Loving v. Virginia
    Struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage
  • Tinker v, Des Moines

    Tinker v, Des Moines
    Schools couldn't prevent students from protesting the Vietnam War
  • War Powers Resolution

    War Powers Resolution
    This resolution, created in 1973, stated that the President must consult with Congress before sending troops and Congress can force the president to end use of military with a concurrent resolution.
  • New Federalism

    New Federalism
    A new kind of federalism began in 1980, which returned some authority to state governments. With this new plan, Ronald Reagan believed state governments could better provide services to the people.
  • Issues in Federalism Today

    Issues in Federalism Today
    Congress gave states authority to manage welfare systems with block grants.
  • Homeland Security

    Homeland Security
    This security was added to reorganize agencies already in place such as law enforcement, border security, transportation, immigration, secret service, and the coast guard. This was created after the attack on 9/11.
  • District of Columbia v. Heller

    District of Columbia v. Heller
    Ruled the 2nd amendment protects an individual's rights to keep and bear arms for self-defense
  • McDonald v. Chicago

    McDonald v. Chicago
    McDonald v. Chicago ruled that the 2nd Amendment applies to federal, state, and local governments; upheld the 2nd Amendment
  • Trump v. Hawaii

    Trump v. Hawaii
    Court ruled a ban on immigration from majority-Muslim countries did not violate the Establishment Clause