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The Mayflower Compact
When the pilgrims left for America, they left before they received the charter which they were supposed to follow. There was a lot of contention among those on the ship, as some were not religious and it was reasoned that they would not follow the church rules, and they resolved to form their own charter. This is the first democracy created in America, and therefore is one of the most important documents created in this timeframe. -
The Fundamental orders of Connecticut
This was ordered by the court of Massachusetts, as 8 magistrates from Connecticut were appointed to create a form of law, which was then abandoned, but then the Fundamental Orders were enacted. This is important because this was one court of law enacting a government upon another part of the country, and it was one of the first forms of representative government. -
Quartering Act
This was an act which forced American people to let British soldiers stay in their houses, and eat their food. Obviously this was not welcome with the citizens because they were forced to feed them, and it cost money to do such a thing. This was yet another event which lead to more disquiet with the citizens. This violated their rights to both property, and liberty, as they were forced to let soldiers into their homes and give them their food and such. -
The Stamp Act
This act, proposed by England, ordered all stamps and paper products to be printed on paper from Britain, which carried an extra tax. This was not appreciated by the colonists, as they were not receiving anything in return for the extra money they were being charged. This is important because it started the avalanche of people disliking the British government to the point of acting. This event violates the right of property because the people were being charged extra for no reason. -
Deeclaritory act
This was to raise taxes for the British government to pay for their soldiers to eat, and to enforce the other acts already in place. This was one of the final things that enraged Americans, as they were receiving no compensation for all the taxes and things they were doing for the British. This violated their right to property, as they were forced to pay more than they should have, and were not being compensated for it.
