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500
Ancient Greek Democracy
The Athens Greek democracy was one of the first democracies to ever exist and was probably the most important in ancient times. Other Greek cities set up democracies but none were as powerful as that of Athens. A democracy where the people do not elect representatives to vote on their behalf but vote on legislation and executive bills in their own right. The early examples of the democracy that the world has had before, helped form and influence today’s current form of democracy. -
Period: 500 to
Classical Liberalism
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1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was the first written document presented to King John of England by his subjects intended to restrict his power and protect their rights. Historians consider it a major milestone in the history of constitutional law and classical liberalism. Rebellious barons conspired to force King John into signing the Magna Carta. The document guaranteed freedom for the English Church, protection of the law for all free men and freedom from excessive fines and taxation. -
1400
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a time of cultural, social, intellectual, political, and artistic reform. Europe rose up from the economic depression of the Middle Ages and finally experienced financial growth. This could be seen as a bridge from the Middle Ages to the modern times. Europeans looked forward to the future with optimism. Inventions in this period, such as the printing press led to the increased rate of education, alongside with the realizations of the importance of the individual in society. -
1500
Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The Constitution of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy outlined the path to harmony and unity among all First Nation nations, divided powers between different levels of government, established equal participation of all people, the inclusion of women in government, and the guaranteed certain rights and freedoms. This was one of the first democratic systems the world has ever had. -
1517
Reformation
The Reformation is the name given to the restructuring of the Church in Europe. It began with a German pastor named Martin Luther who believed the Church had become corrupt and possessed too much power. He demanded the Church to be reformed. Over the next few years through the influence of humanism, new dominations were constructed according to various ideas, such as decision-making based on reason, which made the power of the Church waned and faith of the rational nature of human beings grew. -
American Revolution
The ideas of the Enlightenment contributed to the American Revolution. At that time, each of the group of colonies of Great Britain had its own name and government. American colonies declared independence from Great Britain and created a form of government that was controlled by its citizens. These American colonies suffered under the British monarchy’s rule for a long time and after the American Revolution, American citizens were no longer abused by the a foreign government. -
French Revolution
The French Monarch at the time, Louis XVI, was clinging to his autocracy, and his government was crumbling into bankruptcy. Therefore, tax burden was being paid by ordinary people. Then the National Assembly approved the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen. Which is fundamental in the development of classical liberalism, because it was a foundational document for individual freedoms. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition of Britain from agriculture and mercantile society to a modern industrialization, where capitalism became the dominant economic force in Europe. The principles of classical liberalism had powerful effects in freeing up enterprising individuals. The value of the individual helped spur on the Industrial Revolution among the middle & upper class, so the innovation and potential innovation could flourish in society. -
The Enlightenment
The Renaissance and Reformation led to the greater belief in the importance of the individual and the power of reason. As these ideas became more popular, European philosophers helped promote the ideas about human nature that led to the development of classical liberalism. The Enlightenment or Age of Reason ultimately promoted the belief in the principles of classical liberalism. -
Changes to Class System
Society began to change as the ideas of classical liberalism took hold. Social classes began to die away while a class structure based on wealth began to emerge. Classical liberalism valued the individual as unique and encouraged more economic opportunities. It valued private property and economic freedom. Under classical liberalism, people had greater opportunities to become wealthy and join a higher economic class.
