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550 BCE
First Traces of Democracy
Traces of democracy are believed to have existed throughout the world in tribes and small settlements, but no concrete evidence exists of this theory. -
500 BCE
First documented democracy
Citizens in Athens over the age of 18 are allowed to have a say in discussions. The majority vote, of all participating citizens, is how they decided what to do. This was called rule by the people. Further developments 20 years later, such as Ostracism (Expulsion from Athens), was used to get rid of unwanted politicians. -
140 BCE
Ballot Voting
Ballot voting is now introduced, citizens mark their vote on a stone tablet then place it into an urn to be counted later. -
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is signed by King John, which forced him to obey the laws along with his people as well as consult a council of people before making any choices. This limited his power, and enforced democratic decisions as opposed to a single ruling person. -
Jean Rousseau and John Locke
These two people contributed the ideas that the government was in charge of protecting the people's rights -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equally which reinforces the idea of democracy -
The U.S. Constitution
This bill created different branches in the federal government. These branches were executive, legislative and judicial. Efforts were made to make sure no branch has more power than another, and everything is balanced -
Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
This amendment let any citizen vote, regardless of their skin color, origin of country, or if they were previously a slave. Unfortunately this did not apply to women, but still was a big step in equality. -
Military Voters Act
This act gave women who served in war the ability to vote. -
Wartime Elections Act
This act didn't require women to serve in war, simply being the wife or sister of a serving man in war was enough to vote. -
Voting Rights Act
This act prohibited racial discrimination in voting, letting more people participate in democracy -
Voting Age Reduced to 18
The age for voting was lowered from 21 to 18. Now in 2016, there is a push to lower it even more to 16. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
A wall which divided east and west Berlin was knocked down, ending the one party rule of Eastern Europe. -
Debate on Whether or Not the Voting Age Should be 16
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/29/don-davies-ndp-voting-age-16-canada_n_9111242.html
Today, there is a push to lower the voting age to 16 from 18. -
Today's Democracy
2016 CE - Today, democracy is a practice held over more than half the world, where people can agree on decisions that benefit them.
