American Democracy

Magna Carta/Great Charter

Nov 20, 1215

1. limited the powers of the monarch and preserved the basic legal rights of all free men in England
2. sent out to all the towns and provinces of England

Mercantilism

Jan 1, 1500

1. exportation of finished goods was favored over extractive industries like farming
2. was a reaction against the economic problems of earlier times
3. development of colonies became very attractive during this era

Jamestown Colony (established)

May 14, 1607

1. established 13 years before Plymouth Rock
2. in the beginning struggled to make a profit for the company
3. 104 men and boys first arrived
4. the colonists lacked the skills needed to survive in the New World

House of Burgesses

Jul 30, 1619

1. first asswmbly to make local government in Virginia more responsive to the colonists
2. held in Jamestown
3. inital session accomplished little

Mayflower Compact

Nov 11, 1620

1. first governing document of Plymouth Colon
2. signed by some passangers of the Maflower to keep peace

Plymouth Colony (established)

Dec 26, 1620

1. settled by the Pilgrams who had little religious tolerance
2. originally 102 colonists
3. left England in search of religious freedom
4. learned and got along with the Indians
5. By the end of winter half the orginal colonist had died

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Jan 14, 1639

1. basic law for Connecticut from 1639 to 1662 2, tge charter if Connecticut in 1662 was largely based on the Fundamental Orders

Culpeper's Rebellion

Feb 2, 1677

1. in 1677 North Carolina colonists complained about the Navigation Acts
2. a revolt in Albemarie against the appointed governor took place
3. Culpeper led the revolt
4. Culpeper was charged and tried for treason but never punished

Glorious Revolution

Jan 31, 1688

1. established the victor of Parliament over the king
2. all new taxes had to be approved by the Parliament

French and Indian War

Feb 1, 1689

1. the final Colonial war
2. the beginnign of open hostilites between the colonies and Great Britian
3. England and France had been building toward a conflict in America since 1689

English Bill of Rights

Dec 16, 1689

1. signed into law by King William III 2, one of the fundamental documents of English Constitutional law

Salem Witch Trials

Feb 1, 1692

1. more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, mainly women, and 20 were executed
2. occured between 1692 and 1693

The Great Awakening

Feb 1, 1730

1. occured in the 1730s
2. revitalization of religious piety that happened in the colonies
3. marked a new effort by the colonists to reach out to Native Americans and African-Americans

Albany Plan of Union

Jun 1, 1754

1. adopted by 7 of the colonies
2. was never carried out
3. first important plan to conceive of the colonies as a collective whole united under one government

Proclamation line of 1763

Feb 1, 1763

1. separated English land from the Indian's land
2. angered many colonists who fought to gain new land

Pontiac's Rebellion

May 7, 1763

1. Cheif Pontiac and many other Indian's attacked the British at Fort Detroit
2. They were successful in seizing man British hubs and forts

Sugar/Revenue Act of 1764

Apr 5, 1764

1. modified version of the Sugar Act that was passed in 1733
2. three-pence per gallon
3. taxable items: wines and cloth, coffee, tropical foods and silk

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

-imposed on all American colonists
-taxed every piece of printed paper used
-the money collected was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains.

Virginia Resolves

May 30, 1765

1. Patrick Henry proposed seven resoultions against the Stamp Act
2. the first four resoultions were adopted and passed by the House of Burgeeses

Sons of Liberty

Aug 14, 1765

1. Americans that opposed the Stamp Act
2. started as the Loyal Nine consisting of shopkeepers and artisans
3. existed in every colony

Townsend Act

Jun 29, 1767

1. Taxed goods produced outside the colonies such as paint, tea, coffee and cocoa
2. were to be paid in British pounds

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

1. was a street fight between a mob and a squad of British soldiers
2. several colonists were killed

Gaspee Incident

Jun 10, 1772

1. citizens of Rhode Island burned the British Naval cutter, the Gaspee

Commettees of Correspondence

Nov 2, 1772

1. formed as a means of coordinating action against Great Britian
2. 21 members
3. first assignment was to prepare a series of reports outlining the colonists' rights

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

1. designed to prop up the East India Company
2. lead to the Boston Tea Party
3. colonists in Philadelphia and New York turned the tea ships back to Britian

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

1. the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians and dumped British tea in the barbor
2. Result of the Tea act and caused the Intolerable Acts

Intolerable Acts

Mar 24, 1774

1. laws that were reall punishments for the colonies
2. 5 acts in all: Impartial Administration of Justice Act, Massachusetts Bay Regulating Act, Boston Port Act, Quebec Act, Quarting Act

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

1. lasted until October 26, 1774
2. held because the colonists were upset about the Intolerable Acts and the taxes
3. held in Philadelphia
4. each state sent a representative to the Congress

Edenton Tea Party

Oct 25, 1774

1. one of the earliest organized women's political action in the US history
2. held in Edenton, North Carolina
3. 51 women formed an alliance against the taxs
4. Organized by Penelope Barker but held in Elizabeth King's home

Seoond Continental Congress

May 10, 1775

1. decided to completely break away from Britian
2. decided how to organize the militia of the colonies better
3. appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief of the army

Mecklenburg Resolves

May 20, 1775

1. Mecklenburg Committee of Safety adopted a series of resolutions that became known as the Mecklenburg Resolves

Halifax Resolves

Apr 12, 1776

1. first action taken by the colonies for independence
2. were recommendations directed to all the colonies
3. 83 delegates adopted the Halifax Resolves

Declaration of Independance

Jul 4, 1776

1. written by Thomas Jefferson
2. 56 delegates signed it
3. most important American document
4. justified the right to revoltt against a government that no longer guarranteed natuaral rights

Articles of Confederation

Nov 15, 1777

1. created during the Revoluntinary War
2. the first constitution of the US
3. each state retained their "soverignty, freedom and independence"
4. all 13 states signed it

Treaty of Paris 1783

Sep 3, 1783

1. formall ended the war for independance
2. 9 articles in total
3. was signed by John Adams, Bengamin Franklin, John Jay and others

Land Ordinance of 1785

May 20, 1785

1. one of the most legislative acts in American histor
2. established a method for the survey and sale of Western lands

Shay's Rebellion

Feb 1, 1786

1. clash between New England farmers and merchants
2. rose in Massachusetts
3. wound down in 1787 with a new government, better economy and the creation of the US Constitution

Federalists/Anti-Federalists Papers

Feb 2, 1787

1. the purpose of the Federalists Papers was to gain support of the Constitution
2. the Anti-Federalists Papers contained arguments against ratification of the Constitution in many forms

Constitutional Convention

May 25, 1787

1. met in Philadelphia at the State House
2. opened 11 days later than was originally planned
3. all states were represented except Rhode Island
4. 55 delegates attended
5. Wasshington was selected as a presiding officer

Land Ordinance of 1787

Jul 13, 1787

1. adopted for the government of Confederation for the government of the Western territories ceded to the US by the states

Whiskey Rebellion

Jul 1, 1794

1. whiskey rebels attacked and destoryed a tax inspector's house in response to the tax on whiskey