Human Rights

By LCrisant
  • 30 BCE

    Jesus of Nazareth

    Preaches virtues of "love thy neighbour as thyself" and for those without sin to "cast the first stone."
  • 476

    Medieval Theology

    Infidels and barbarians are not entitled to humanistic considerations.
  • 622

    The Charter of Medina

    Formal agreement between Muhammad and all of the significant tribes and families of Yathrib, protecting religious freedom, granting women greater autonomy, and ending ethnic segregation policies.
  • 1100

    The Charter of Liberties

    Written proclamation by the King Henry I of England. It tried to bind the King to certain laws regarding the treatment of church officials and nobles.
  • 1450

    The Iroquois Constitution

    Created, forming a confederacy of five independent American nations.

  • The British Parliament

    Petition that prohibits the monarch from arresting people on an arbitrary basis.

  • Maryland

    Founded as a Catholic colony with religious tolerance.

  • The Habeas Corpus Act

    Act that gives anyone who is detained the right to a fair trial within a certain amount of time, examining the lawfulness of a prisoner's detention.

  • Two Treatises on Government

    John Locke writes about the notions of natural rights of life, liberty and property.

  • The Social Contract

    Argues that the "general will" reflecting the common interests of all people in a nation, is sacred and absolute.

  • French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

    "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights."
    "Every man is presumed innocent until he is proven guilty"

    Law "is an expression of the general will."

  • Mary Wollstonecraft

    Writes the Vindication of the Rights of Women, she maintains that women are human beings deserving of the same fundamental rights as men.

  • The British Parliament

    Passes the Abolition Act, which abolishes the slave trade in the British Empire.

  • Treaty of London

    Russia, France, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain sign the Treaty of London abolishing slavery.

  • The Thirteenth Amendment

    1865
    The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States, takes effect.

  • NWSA

    The National Women Suffrage Association is founded in New York City in response to a split in the AERA.

  • Women vote

    New Zealand becomes the first nation to grant women the right to vote.

  • Nobel Peace Prize

    Henry Dunant (founder of the Red Cross) and Frederic Passy (a leading international pacifist) are awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize.

  • NAACP

    1909
    The National Association for the Advancement of Colourer People is founded in New York City for the purpose of improving the conditions of coloured people.

  • Federation of Human Rights

    The International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, composed of fourteen national human rights organizations, is established.

  • Women Vote

    Women gain the right to vote in Brazil.

  • UN

    The United Nations is Born.

  • India Independence

    India receives its independence after years of non-violent protests led by Mahatma Gandhi.

  • The Council of Europe

    Creates the European Commission on Human Rights and the Court of Human Rights.

  • Gay Rights

    The Campaign Against Moral Persecution, also known as C.A.M.P., was founded in Sydney and was one of Australia's first gay rights organizations.

  • UN

    The UN adopts the Declaration on the Right to Development.

  • UN

    Declaration of the UN Decade for Human Rights Education.

  • Labour Organization

    The International Labour Organization adopts the revised Maternity Protection Convention.