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500
Ancient Greece
This occured in 500 BC. Greece was a direct democracy. This means the decisions were made by citizens. It was also a basis of New England town meetings.The politics Ancient Greece practieced are still being practiced today. -
Sep 3, 1215
Magna Carta
Established a limited government rule of law, and individual rights. This applied to only nobles and landowners. Nobles rebelled against John for making three bad decisions. This influenced America by starting the common laws. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact made the government based on majority. It included a social contract and applied to the 101 people on the Mayflower. This is important in American history because it was a step closer to self-government -
Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes was a philosopher who had a theory of social contract. He believed government was formed to protect people from themselves. Hobbes also thought there was a need for an absolute monarch. -
John Locke
Locke was a philospher who believed representative government is the only reasonable kind. He said the purpose of government is to protect natural rights-life, liberty, and property. -
English Bill of Rights
The English Bill of Rights expanded individual rights, the right to bear arms, petition the king, and freedom from cruel and unusual punishments. It protected all English citizens. Many of the English Bill of Rights provisions became part of the US. -
Jean-Jacques Rosseau
Rosseau thought the only kind of good government was the kind freely formed by people. All men were equal, not just land owners. -
Baron De Montesquieu
Montesquieu had the idea of seperation of powers. This was good for large states because it would further guard against tyranny-the abuse of power. -
Voltaire
Voltaire believed in absolute value of freedom of speech. He stated that men are equal, but it's not birth, but virtue that makes the difference. -
Cesare Beccaria
Beccaria's "On Crime and Punishment" condemned torture and the death penalty. Beccaria promoted criminal justice. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a protest to King George III. 56 delegates from 12 colonies, except Georgia, met in Philidalphia to discuss things for two months. -
Seocnd Continental Congress
This time during the Second Continental Congress, delegates from all 13 colonies had met. The decided to declare independance. With out this event, it may have tooken longer for America to gain its independance. -
Declaration of Independence
This was a statement adopted by Continental Congress which announced the thirteen colonies were individual sovereign states. A new nation was formed called the United States of America. Without the Declaration of Independance, the US would have tooken longer or just not happened at all. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris by representatives. It ended the Revolutionary War. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays Rebellion occured in Massachusetts. The rebllion was built up of farmers led by Daniel Shay. Taxes were raised and courts took farmers land when they could not pay the taxes that were brought against them. They also rebelled agains the Articles of Confederation for unfair laws. Without this rebellion, This led to the constitution and and a stronger government. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation established a method for admitting new states. It also got current states to give up their western territories to create new and more states. This article established the functions of the national government of the US after it declared independance from Great Britain. -
Philadelphia Convention (Constitutional Convention)
During 1787, delegates met to discuss problems with the Articles of Confederation.Delegates decided to make a whole new government. This had to include slavery, number of rep. per state, strength of federal gov., whether or not to have a president, and role of gov. in commerce. -
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a time of 509 BC-49 BC. It was a republic form of government in which citizens elect representatives to govern them. Laws written in 450 BC were to ensure all people and government representatives to follow them.
