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500 BCE
Ancient Greek democracy
Ancient Greece was thought to be one of the first democracies to exist, though it wasn't a true democracy. Only select people were permitted to vote . It attributed to classical democracy by introducing the idea of spreading the power among the people. -
1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document written in 1215 AD that limited the power of the king in Great Britain. It influenced classical liberalism as it was one of the first documents that established the rule of law and granted basic rights to individuals. -
1400
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a time in European history between the 14th and 16th centuries. It is known as the bridge between the middle ages and modern history. The Renaissance affected classical liberalization as it introduced the value of individualism, by giving rise to the value of individuals in society. -
1400
Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois are made up of six former warring nations that came together to form a single nation. They are considered one of the longest existing democracies in the world. They contributed to classical liberalism by introducing the Great Law of Peace and their three key principles; division of power, equal participation of citizens, even women, and the establishment of rights and freedoms. -
1517
Reformation
The Reformation, commonly known as the Protestant Reformation, was a period of reformation in the Catholic Church started by Martin Luther. It had an effect on classical liberalism because during the Reformation power shifted from the Catholic Church to individuals. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason, was a period of time in Europe where the focus of people transitioned toward the intellectual, and philosophical aspect of life. The Enlightenment attributed to classical liberalism because as people focused on the pursuit of knowledge it became more available to commoners not just nobles. Because of this, lower class people gained more knowledge and wanted more freedoms and political say. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great great change as the manufacturing process changed from traditional hand production methods to more modern machine use. The Industrial Revolution affected classical liberalism as people were given more economic freedoms which sparked the desire of wealthy and middle class people to have more political rights. -
American Revolution
The American Revolution took place in 1776 and resulted in America becoming independent from Great Britain. The American Revolution effected classical liberalism as the people fought for greater freedoms and the right to rule themselves. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution was a revolution based on liberal ideals in France. Seeking more rights, freedoms, and political power, the lower and middle class people of France started the revolution to gain equality. The French Revolution effected modern liberalism as it gave the lower and middle class people more rights, freedoms, political say, and changed the class system. -
Changes to the class system
In the past, people were defined by, and limited to the class that they were born into. As the class system changed, people were no longer limited to the class they were born into but they could earn their place in society. This helped to grow the values of individualism and economic freedom.
