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Period: 500 BCE to 400 BCE
Ancient Greek Democracy
Democracy began in Ancient Greek cities such as Athens. While the type of direct democracy that existed then did not thrive in Ancient Greece, they laid an important foundation for classical liberalism and modern democracy. -
1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was originally signed in 1215 by King John of England as a peace treaty with a group fo rebel barons. It was re-written and studied multiple times throughout history, and is considered and important step towards democracy in England, because of it’s original clauses surrounding rule of law and security of person. -
Period: 1300 to
Renaissance
Renaissance, meaning “rebirth” in French, was a period of European history that is credited as the bridge between the middle ages and modern times. It is characterized by social, political, and intellectual changes.
These changes in ideas allowed for the development of the foundation of the principles of classical liberalism. -
Period: 1400 to
Haudenosaunee Conferderacy
The Haudenosaunee (or Iroquois) confederacy was the system of government used by the Haudenosaunee First Nations people in North America. The foundations of this system of government were found to have influenced the American constitution and system of democracy, which also came as a result of classical liberalism. Haudenosaunee people believe that their system of democracy has no start date, rather that it has been in place forever. -
Period: 1517 to
Reformation
Reformation was a religious revolution. It reformed Christianity, especially by founding Protestantism. Martin Luther King was an important figure of this time.
Changes in religion and the willingness of people to criticize the existing (and oppressing) systems was an important step towards the development of personal freedoms that are an important part of classical liberalism. -
Period: to
The Englightenment
The Enlightenment period reformed views on science, philosophy, and humanity in Europe. Some of the ‘thinkers’ of this period include John Locke and Isaac Newton. Enlightenment (informing) of the public was the goal of these thinkers.
Public knowledge allowed for ideas, such as the ideas of classical liberalism, to spread and gain traction in society. -
Period: to
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a transition period which started in Britain and spread to other parts of the world. It brought many changes to how goods were produced, as the use of machines came in to practice. It also resulted in social changes, such as urbanization. 1760-1840 is the approximate timespan of this process.
The Industrial Revolution allowed for a more capitalist economy to develop, which is a principle of classical liberalism. -
Period: to
The American Revolution
The American Revolution lead to a war for independance for the 13 colonies from the British Crown.
The colonies could now be self-governing and democratic. -
Period: to
The French Revolution
The French Revolution was a time of great political upheaval, which lead to abolishment of the monarchy. It ended when Napoleon Bonaparte took power in 1799.
Abolishing the monarchy in France was a very important step towards democracy, which is a principle of classical liberalism. -
Period: to
Changes to Class System
Changes in European class systems of this time are mainly associated to the rise of the middle class. The middle class was brought on by the Industrial Revolution. It allowed for further expansion of a capitalist economy, which is a principle of classical liberalism.
