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508 BCE
Athenian Democracy
The first form of democratic government, introduced in ancient Greece, where votes from all eligible voters had equal weight. It was the original democracy, paving the way for democracies around the world, including Canada. Any citizen can be elected by other citizens. -
476 BCE
The Roman Empire
The Roman empire was the first representative democracy. Canada operates under a representative democracy, wherein representatives are appointed within each political party, and the representative of the elected party becomes the country's leader of government. -
1215
The Passing of the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta affirmed that kings and rulers were not above the law. The Magna Carta was the basis for Canada's Bill of Rights, solidifying freedom and property rights, eventually evolving into women's rights. -
Divine Right of Kings
A notable stage in the history of the British monarchy, the idea that royals were above every law but those given to them directly by god. While Canada was being colonised before the creation of the country, the divine right of kings was still recognised for some time, and thus affected its development as a nation early on. Freedoms such as freedom of thought are in place as precaution against some of the old monarchy's values. -
John Locke and Thomas Hobbes
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British Parliament
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The Iroquois Confederacy