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Solon came into power as archon around 594 BCE. He produced a new law code to replace Draco's Law Code. He restructured the class system, reducing the dominance of the aristocracy, and allowed for more people to participate in politics. source -
Isagoras was made archon in 508 BCE, but Cleisthenes was able to use the support of the lower classes to impose his reforms. He reformed social organization and ended aristocratic rule. His changes marked the beginning of Athenian democracy. source -
Pericles introduced pay for jurors, allowing poorer men to participate politically. It was an important step towards creating an equal democracy. Prior to his changes, lower class Athenians could not afford to take the time to serve. source
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Following the failure of the Sicilian Expedition in 413 BC, Athens was struggling financially. The tax burden on richer Athenian citizens was growing. In 411 BC, members of the Athenian elite overthrew the existing democratic government and replaced it with a 400 man oligarchy. In a few months, it was replaced with a 5000 man council. source -
Following the Athenian victory over Sparta in the battle of Cyzicus, Sparta sent an embassy to request peace, which the Athenians rejected. Within months of the battle, democracy was restored in Athens, replacing the oligarchy that had taken over in 411 BC. source
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After Sparta defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian war in 404 BC, Sparta installed a thirty person oligarchy to rule Athens. They executed over a thousand people without trial, and executed wealthy citizens to confiscate their assets and divide it among the thirty. source
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The Phyle campaign was a civil war in Athens over the thirty tyrant oligarchy, leading to the restoration of democracy. Led by a group of Athenian exiles, democracy was restored, replacing the short-lived pro-Sparta oligarchy. source
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In 1776, delegates appointed 5 men (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Livingston) to draft the Declaration of Independence, justifying the break from Great Britain. Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. The declaration played a critical role in uniting the 13 colonies against Britain. source -
The United States when it was founded shared many similarities with ancient Greece and Athens. U.S. states resemble Greek city-states. The U.S. voting system resembled the voting system of Athens. In Athens, citizens would vote over issues and create laws. The U.S. has a similar democracy, although representative because of its larger scale. Similar to Athens, the early U.S. restricted voting rights to only a small portion of the population. Only landowning, white men were allowed to vote.
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The United States constitution was written in 1787. The idea of a written constitution was influenced by Aristotle's Constitution of the Athenians. The constitution acts as the supreme law of the United States, laying out the structure of the government and the way laws are enforced. source