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600 BCE
Ancient Greek Democracy
The seeds of liberalism are sewn in Ancient Greece, when a direct democracy is instituted to divide power among the people. Participating citizens voted directly on legislation and executive bills. -
1215
Signing of the Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a binding document signed in Great Britain, which limited the power of the monarchs, and gave power back to the average citizen, who's rights were previously undefined. -
Period: 1300 to 1500
Renaissance Era
A time of great social, economic, political,and artistic change in Europe. Gave birth to the Humanists, who believed in reason and logic over faith in Church, which was a big deviation from ideologies of the time. -
Period: 1400 to
Haudenosaunee Confederacy
The confederation made of 6 aboriginal nations ( the Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Tuscarora ) brought together by the Great Law of Peace. It was an oral constitution which established the rights and freedoms of its citizens, and divided powers among various branches of government. -
Period: 1517 to
Reformation
A massive restructuring of the Catholic Church in Europe,which started with German pastor Martin Luther. He believed that the Church had become corrupt with power. Influenced by humanism, the Church constructed new ideas based om the idea that humans are capable of making decisions based on reason. The power of the Church was diminished and faith in human rationality grew. -
Enlightenment
A scientific revolution which swept through Europe in the 18th century, which advocated for reason as the primary base for authority, rather than faith in the Church. -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
A period in time which directly caused extremely significant changes to the social, economic, and political aspects of all citizens lives in Great Britain. A greater acceptance of science and logic was applied to all areas of society, resulting in mass growth of industry. -
American Revolution
Encouraged by ideas of Enlightenment, citizens of the British colonies of North America desired to be free from the clutches of the British government. Through the Declaration of Independence, they separated from the the British monarchy and grew into the United States of America. -
French Revolution
A revolution which was fueled by a class system based on injustice led to the overthrowing of the French nobility, and the signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man signed in 1789. Citizens fought for equality rights, and an incredible large percentage of royalty was executed following the institution of the new government. -
Changes to the class system
A wealthy middle class developed in the wake of the industrial revolution, helping bridge the gap between the rich and the poor in society. Average citizens were now able to gain economic status by investing in industry
