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Period: 1100 BCE to 500 BCE
Ancient Greece
From the Dark Ages that Greece faced after the Trojan Wars, up to the Archaic Period where Greece thrived, made developments in the arts and culture, and the beginnings of democracy, Ancient Greek history was compelling and astounding to say the least. -
27 BCE
Ancient Roman Empire
The Roman Empire, at its height, was the most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. By 285 CE the empire had grown too vast to be ruled from the central government at Rome and so was divided by Emperor Diocletian into a Western and an Eastern Empire. The Roman Empire began when Augustus Caesar became the first emperor of Rome (27 BCE) and ended, in the west, when the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic King Odoacer (476 CE). -
Period: Jan 1, 1142 to
Iroquois
The sixth nation, the Tuscaroras, migrated into Iroquois country in the early eighteenth century. Together these peoples comprise the oldest living participatory democracy on earth. Their story, and governance truly based on the consent of the governed, contains a great deal of life-promoting intelligence for those of us not familiar with this area of American history. -
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. Magna Carta still forms an important symbol of liberty today, often cited by politicians and campaigners, and is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities. -
Petition of Right
A major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. Passed on 7 June 1628, the Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and the use of martial law. -
Period: to
John Locke
An English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism". His work greatly affected the development of epistemology and political philosophy. His writings influenced Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, many Scottish Enlightenment thinkers, as well as the American revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are reflected in the Declaration of Independence. -
Period: to
Montesquieu
A French lawyer, man of letters, and political philosopher who lived during the Age of Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He is also known for doing more than any other author to secure the place of the word despotism in the political lexicon. -
English Bill of Rights
It was an Act of the Parliament of England that dealt with constitutional matters and sets out certain basic civil rights. It laid down limits on the powers of the monarch and sets out the rights of Parliament, including the need for regular parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech in Parliament. It sets out certain rights of individuals such as prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and the liberty of Protestants to have arms for their defense within the rule of law. -
Period: to
Thomas Paine
In 1776, he published Common Sense, a strong defense of American Independence from England. He traveled with the Continental Army and wasn't a success as a soldier, but he produced The American Crisis, which helped inspire the Army. In 1791-92, he wrote The Rights of Man in response to criticism of the French Revolution. This work caused Paine to be labeled an outlaw in England for his anti-monarchist views. He would have been arrested, but he fled for France to join the National Convention.