I. Early Influences

                A. An English Heritage

                    1. Limited Government

                        a. Magna Carta (1215)

                        b. Petition of Right (1628)

                        c. English Bill of Rights (1689)

                    2. Representative Government

                        a. Parliament

                        b. Glorious Revolution of 1688

                B. Colonial Development

                    1. Charters

                    2. Mayflower Compact

                    3. Governments

                        a. Royal colonies

                        b. Proprietary colonies

                        c. Corporate colonies

                        d. Common characteristics

            II. Independence

                A. Searching for Unity

                    1. Obstacles

                        a. Reasons for settling

                        b. Economies and Geography

                            1. Northern colonies

                            2. Middle colonies

                            3. Southern colonies

                      2. Attempts at unity

                        a. New England Confederation

                        b. Albany Plan of Union

                 B. An Ocean Apart

                      1. Political Distance

                      2. British Policies

                            a. Seven Years’ War

                            b. Stamp Act

                C. Colonial Reaction

                        1. Protests

                            a. Stamp Act Congress

                            b. Boston Massacre

                            c. Boston Tea Party

                        2. Continental Congresses

                            a. First Continental Congress

                            b. Second Continental Congress

                D. Declaration of Independence

                E. State Governments

                        1. Structure

                        2. Rights

         III. The First National Government

                A. Articles of Confederation

                        1. Powers

                        2. Limits on Power

                B. Obstacles to Unity Resurface

                        1. Cultural differences

                        2. Economic differences

                        3. Geographic isolation

                C. Pressure for a Stronger Government

                        1. Annapolis Convention

                        2. Shays’ Rebellion

         IV. The Constitutional Convention

                A. The Delegates

                B. Rival Plans

                        1. Virginia Plan

                        2. New Jersey Plan

                C. The Great Compromise

                D. Settling Other Issues

                        1. Slavery

                        2. Trade

                        3. The Presidency

                E. Finalizing the Constitution

         V. Ratifying the Constitution

                A. Federalists and Anti-Federalists

                        1. Anti-Federalists

                        2. Federalists

                B. Ratification