Northwest Ordinance(1787)

(after winning independence, country found in possession of lands north of the Ohio River and east of Mississippi.

Confederation Congress passes ordinance.)

--Law that divided region into smaller territores, and set up procedures for admission of territory into union as a new state after its pop. reached certain size.

Magna Carta(1215)

(English king promised not to take free man's poperty or to imprison any free man w/out procedures established by laws of land.)

--It guaranteed individuals the right to a fair trial by peers, and forced king to obtain subject's consent for any new taxes.

English Bill of Rights of

1689

(England's rulers agreed not to have a standing army or to collect new taxes with the permission of Parliament.)

--Guaranteed trial by jury, right to petition Parliament, and other personal freemdoms..as well as freedom of speech & debate in Parliament.

(Pilgrims crossing th Atlantic signed this compact...developed by colonists themselves.)

--Document stating that the Pilgrim colonists agreed tht they would form a representative gov. and obey its laws

Emancipation Proclamation

(1862)

--Freed (emacipated) slaves in the states resisting the Union.

Went into effect on January 1, 1863.