Evolution of Democracy

By handenforb
  • 594 BCE

    594 – 593 BCE

    Solon lays the foundation for democracy in Athens through cancelling land debt, creating new laws, and setting up the first court system for all citizens.
  • 508 BCE

    508 BCE

    Cleisthenes, thought to be the founder of democracy, establishes democracy in Athens. He believed that all citizens had equal rights, and set up systems of councils, debating, and voting to give the people a voice in the government.
  • 487 BCE

    487 BCE

    The first direct democracy ostracism vote takes place, and Hipparchus is exiled from Athens. Ostracism was a system where an individual thought to be powerful or dangerous could be exiled from the city by popular vote, and anyone in the voting class could vote.
  • 1215

    1215

    The King of England was forced to sign the Magna Carta, a document enforcing a rule that leaders had to obey laws. King John, the king at the time, now had to consult nobles before making decisions, and couldn’t be cruel to common citizens.
  • 1295

    1295

    The King of England gathered 2 citizens from each town in England, as well as bishops and lords to form the Parliament, the government in England that creates laws. This established the idea of electing representatives for the common people.

  • 1628

    The Petition of Right is signed by King Charles I in England, setting out four main rights that citizens were granted with no infringement from the king. These included no taxation without consent of the Parliament, no imprisonment without cause, no quartering of soldiers on subjects, and no martial law in peacetime.

  • 1754

    The Albany Plan is created by Benjamin Franklin to set out a unified government for the thirteen colonies. With the French and Indian war imminent, negotiations and peace needed to be worked out among the Iroquois and the colonies. However, the plan failed due to colonial governments’ fear of losing power, territory, and commerce to other colonies and the British Parliament. However, it served as a model for plans to come.

  • 1765

    The Stamp and Quartering Acts are passed, resulting in nine out of thirteen colonies forming the Stamp Act Congress. In the Congress, delegates from angry colonies met and protested to the King through sending a Declaration of Rights and lists of Grievances.

  • 1776

    The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, stated that the thirteen colonies were independent from Britain. Containing the original goals of democracy, the document represents the birth of democracy in America.

  • 1783

    The Treaty of Paris is signed by Britain and the United States to end the Revolutionary War and grant the colonies their independence.

  • 1787

    The Constitution is written by the Philadelphia Convention in replacement of the Articles of Confederation. The document’s purpose was to make it so that the Federal government was not allowed to take control of the nation. It comprised of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Thirty-nine names signed the final document on September 17.

  • 1791

    The Bill of Rights outlining the first ten amendments of the Constitution was ratified. These rights included the freedom of speech, worship, and the right to bear arms.

  • 1800

    Thomas Jefferson is elected into presidency of the United States. Creating the First Party System, he introduced ideas of political equality and freedom into American society.

  • 1863

    During Lincoln’s presidency, the Emancipation Proclamation is signed, stating that all slaves were freed in the ten slavery states. This furthered the notion that all men were created equal.

  • 1870

    A 15th Amendment is added to the Constitution, giving African Americans more freedom and rights, including the right to vote.

  • 1920

    The 19th Amendment is added to the Constitution giving women the right to vote as a result of the women suffrage movement. This promoted freedom, rights, and democracy among America.

  • 1948

    The Marshall Plan is signed by President Truman, promoting peace among nations and the rebuilding of Europe after World War II. In contrast to the Treaty of Versailles, which promoted revenge of Germany, the Marshall Plan evolved democracy as a promotion of goodwill and peace and helped to balance the power in Europe.

  • 1960

    Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka becomes the first non-hereditary women head of government. Elected as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, it opened up the idea of fair and equal rights for all men and women.

  • 1963

    Martin Luther King Jr. makes his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, proving to be a big step in the evolution of democracy. This speech helped to promote equal rights for colored citizens and reinstated the founding democratic principles of America.

  • 2008

    The election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the nation made him the first colored president to ever be in office. Evolving from slavery to enough minimalized racial discrimination to elect a president stands out in democratic history.