2.2.6. Timeline Assignment

Ancient Athenian democracy was the birth place of the first democratic government. It included several political reforms which allowed Greek citizens to vote on legislation and bills which impacted their lives. Prior to democracy, the aristocratic system in Greece featured an uneven distribution of power, however the new democratic government allowed people to vote on laws which impacted their rights, freedoms, and interests, through the government leaders they trusted to make decisions.

The Magna Carta, 1215, was a Latin document which outlined the new, limited, power of the monarch in Great Britain. The power shifted from the monarch to peasants and citizens by guaranteeing basic rights for all.
The document questioned the "divine right of kings" and instead gave individual rights and freedoms to citizens. The Magna Carta developed the a key principles of classical liberalism: rule of law, individual rights and freedoms. It also helped create the basis for modern democracy.

From the 14th century, to the 16th century, the Renaissance featured an ideological shift from closed-minded thinking of the Middle Ages to the open-minded, intellectual, and liberal ideologies of more modern history. The original ideas of this Renaissance time period inspired enlightenment philosophers to develop ideologies which contributed the governments, and to the wealth of, and protection of rights and freedoms in modern history, and the rights and freedoms we have in modern society.

Spanning from the 15th century to 1776, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy was comprised of 6 nations who gathered to form a government, abiding to their created consitution: the Great Law of Peace.
The United States based their constitution on the Great Law of Peace. Furthermore, the united states is known for its liberalism in the modern world. Through America's derived constitution, individual rights and freedoms have the utmost importance and has allowed the USA to become a world superpower.

The Reformation, from 1517 to 1648, was a restructuring of the church system in Europe. Martin Luther believed that the church had strayed from its true purpose and had become too powerful and corrupt.
This contributed to classical liberalism since less emphasis was put on the church, and more on self-interest. From this shift stemmed personal freedoms, equality, a individual decision making, and overall greater individual power. This new mentality helped form the ideas of classical liberalism.

From 1776 to 1783, the American Revolution was a war between American Settlers and Great Britain over the high tariffs and the economic monopoly.
The American Settlers freed themselves, which symbolized the promotion of self interest over unfair rule. After, the leaders of the revolution pushed the ideas of equality, stating that "all men are created equal" and further emphasized self interest. Their ideas of liberalism, self interest and equality in part make up the modern American constitution

The French Revolution, from 1789 to 1799, was a battle between the French, and their government. The French government was in financial devastation and taxed their citizens heavily to compensate for it.
In successfully revolting against their oppressive government, French citizens promoted individual rights and overall liberalism. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was created afterwards which highlighted how a government was supposed to protect individual rights and freedoms.

The industrial revolution, 1800 to 1900, marked a time of social and drastic technological innovations. Britain experienced a shift from a feudal system to a society based on mercantilism and agriculture.
During this shift, individuals began to believe in their own self worth and society started pursuing ideas of self-interest, private property, economic freedom, individual freedom, and competition. These pursued ideas have had a lasting impact that can be seen in modern free-market economies.

From 1685 to 1815, the Enlightenment Period was a time where many philosophers developed liberal and individualistic ideologies. They communicated ideas of freedom, reasoning, and rationale to the world.
A major emphasis was placed on humanity's rational and logical nature. In gaining traction and popularity, these developed ideas helped the development of rights and freedoms, private property, and acting out of self interest. These philosophies shifted humanity towards a more liberal mindset/

The 19th century saw major changes to the social class system. Society shifted from a rigid hierarchy to a class system based on wealth.
Through centuries of developing classical liberalism, individuals mostly possessed the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities to work and compete. Self interest became the driving factor and resulted in a drastically different society. The resulting free-market economies and equality further developed classical liberalism which we still see in modern society.