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508 BCE
Athens: The Birth of Democracy
Athens was called the first democracy as it was the first time citizens where given the opportunity to vote and take part in the decision of law making. Women where not provided the same opportunity. Only adult male citizens who had completed their military training as ephebes had the right to vote. It was still a huge step towards the idea of democracy and government we know today. -
1215
The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is a statement of fundamental law., the foundation of the English constitution, and a fight for individual liberty. When King John signed the Magna Carta everybody including the King was subject to law. This was the back bone of English Democracy. -
The Divine Right of Kings
The Divine Right of Kings asserted that Kings derived their authority from God and could not be held accountable for their actions by parliament. This may seem like a step back for democracy, it shaped and influenced governments and democracies moving forward. -
The English Civil War and Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan was a major step to the government and democracy we know today. Thomas Hobbes's whole idea was that people needed a king or some sort of monarch. That human beings at the end of the day where selfish so in order to keep people in check there should be one strong monarch. Perhaps his most influential concept was his idea of a 'social contract'. The condition in which people give up some individual liberty in exchange for some common security. -
John Locke’s Two Treaties of Government and the Glorious Revolution
John Locke is one of the most influential political philosophers of the modern period. In the Two Treaties of Government, he upholds the the claim that men are by nature free and equal against claims that God had made all people naturally subject to a monarch. He also argued that government was a form of contract between the leaders and the people, and that representative government existed to protect “life, liberty and property.” -
The America Revolution
The American Revolution: a time when Great Britain ruled over what is now the USA. The USA wanted to rebel against great Britain to become their own country with their own laws . There were many battles fought and eventually the colonies gained their freedom and became the independent country known as the United States. Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. -
The French Revolution
The french revolution started on July 14,1789 when revolutionaries stormed a prison called the Bastille. The revolution ended in 1799 when Napoleon overthrew the revolutionary government and established the French Consulate. It is often argued as to whether Napoleon was a hero or a tyrant. On one hand, he helped win the revolution but on the other hand he ended up taking over France ruling monarchy style which was what the people of France were trying to get away from. His rule ended in 1815. -
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, now also known as the First Industrial Revolution, was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United State. People were now moving from small shops in small towns to working in large factories in big cities. Lastly, the Industrial Revolution challenged democracy itself. Democracy and independence only applied to the hours when a person was not at work. On the job, dictatorship and dependence were the rule. -
The Suffrage Movement in Canada
The Suffrage Movement in Canada was a huge step forward for democracy . The result of this movement was black and white women were finally provided the right to vote in in all Canadian provinces except for Quebec. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world. It lasted from 1929, the initial stock market crash, until to 1939. ... In 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country's banks had shut down. In Canada, the Unemployment Rate was approximately 30 per cent and one in five Canadians depended on government relief for survival. -
The Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement began in the late 1940's: Black Americans protested and fought for their right to end racial injustices and to be free of discrimination. The Movement pushed for Black Americans to attain equal rights under the law. The Movement is said to have eded in the late 1960s. -
The Student Movement
The Student Movement of the 1960's: Students wanted to end the consensus culture that formed following the Second World War. They moved to end racial discrimination and free themselves from what they saw as totalitarian rule of the establishment. -
The 1980 Quebec Referendum
The 1980 Quebec Referendum was an opportunity for Quebecers to vote to remain part of Canada or to separate and become an independent country (ie sovereignty). This was the first Quebec referendum but not the last . -
The End of Communism
The collapse of the Berlin Wall was the build up to the point of the revolutionary changes sweeping East Central Europe. Finally, after 40 plus years of Communist Rule, East Central Europe finally had some liberty and freedom. -
The End of Apartheid
The apartheid system in South Africa was ended through a series of negotiations between 1990 and 1993. Eventually the negotiations ended resulting in their first non racial election! This election was won by the African National Congress. -
Barack Obama's Presidency
Barack Obama's Presidency was a tremendous step forward for America and the world. He was The first black black president; that changed the meaning of liberty and freedom. He gave people of all colour the feeling like they could achieve anything. he provided hope to all Americans and worked extremely hard for Obama Care which provides more access to heath-care for those who can't afford it. His success illustrates democracy at its best. He was President for 2 terms from 2009 to 2017 -
Black Lives Matter
The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement is a fight against racial inequality, racial discrimination and racial injustice. Its the fight for peace between the black and white community. This Movement is currently still taking place
