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509 BCE
Roman empire to roman republic
Around 509 BC the Roman empire made a switch to a republic government system. Using a senate to advise governing rules. While today Canada follows a constitutional monarchy, countries like the United States practice a Republic system with a loose structure like Rome's. -
507 BCE
Democracy in Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks introduced a political idea called demokratia, which would late be changed to the democracy. The idea was to give more power to the people although slaves and women were not permitted to participate. Though the greeks democratic system looks different than ours today, many elements such as using a council are used modernly. This start in Ancient Greece paved the way for other countries to start practicing democracy, eventually leading to Canada. -
1142
Iroquois confederacy
The Iroquois confederacy was originally implemented in 1142, uniting five first nations tribes in a form of democracy. The Iroquois confederacy was the inspiration centuries later for Canada's constituition. -
1215
British Parliament
The British parliament was established in 1215, a council was formed with representatives chosen by the king to discuss laws and policies. There were also local representatives. They then signed the Magna Carta. Eventually, this system became the one Britain follows to this day. Which directly affected Canada's formation of a constitutional monarchy, becoming an independent government while still recognizing the royal family. -
1216
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was first created in 1216 to ensure that monarchs in England at the time and in the future, had to obey the law. The Magna Carta was changed several times throughout its origination, it is not used in Canada today however the concepts from it are used in our constitution. -
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes was an English Philosopher born 1588-1679. He was very involved in political philosophy, as he had a very complex view of human nature and how it should be governed. He believed that we should look to an unaccountable sovereign as a political authority. His thesis and ideas are still studied today and remain relevant in politics. -
The divine right of kings.
The divine right of kings was an ideology that a monarch should not be held to the same accountability as his citizens because God gave him his power directly, therefore what he says always reflects God's will. What a monarch did could not be dictated by the parliament. Eventually, this rule faded out as religion and politics became more separated. However, to this day, Canada views the crown as important and all laws or bills put forward will need to be approved by the queen's representative. -
John Locke
John Locke, 1632-1704. Much like Thomas Hobbes, Locke was a political theorist, however, he believed that human nature was inherently good and that tolerance was a key component. He played a major role in forming what would now be comparable to the liberal party of Canada. -
Period: to
The American revolution
The American revolution started when Britain's North American colonies desired independence and to get away from the crown. This turned to war and after years of fighting America earned its independence in 1781. While Canada didn't become its own country until later on, the idea of independence certainly sparked an interest to form a country separate from Britain and the crown, though Canada's separation wasn't quite so brutal. -
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The French revolution
The french revolution led to the end of the monarchy system in France. It became a democracy, the first democratic government seen in Europe. -
The great depression
The great depression was a severe economic shock, especially to Canada. Almost everyone was in poverty and many were unemployed. This pushed the government to take on a larger role within Canada's economics.