Classical Liberalism Timeline

Ancient Greek Democracy

Period: 500 BCE to 322 BCE

The Greek democracy was a lot different than that of the democracy today, male citizens that had completed their military training had the right to vote in Athens. Women however were very restricted and could not participate in government such as men could. The ancient Greek democracy was said to be an example for most democracies today as it is considered as one of the oldest. The Greek Democracy

Magna Carta

1215

The Magna Carta, created by King John, is known to be one of the most important documents in history because of the establishment of the principle that "everyone is subject to the law, even the king, and guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice, and the right to fair trial". This was very important to the later establishment of the Declaration of Human rights which has developed society today to have a structured democracy to advocate for human rights and individualism.

Renaissance [14th-16th C]

1400

The Renaissance was a time in European history of cultural rebirth. It was a time where people became more against the concept of religious hierarchy and intrigued about the nature of man. As the renaissance developed, Individualism became a noticeable theme in Italy because of the many people that invested in becoming more educated in order to have an individual identity. This time in history has influenced the individualist mindset of today through politics, right to life, etc

Haudenosaunee Confederacy

Period: 1500 to 1776

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy which was also known as the grand council of chiefs was a "democracy" which Aboriginals created in order to maintain peace in their society, have equality for both men and women, and the establishment of rights and freedoms. This way of life influenced liberalism today because it presented a society free of oppression which inspired the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

Reformation [1517-1648]

1517

The Reformation was a time when people decided that they did not want a system where the monarchy and state ruled over the people. One of the most important people in this time period to make a change was, Martin Luther.Martin Luther was an advocate for liberty of conscience and freedom of worship.This helped in the creation of an individualist government as well as the freedom of religion, which has helped with the freedom and rights of society today to have a right to beliefs and spirituality.

American Revolution

1776

Liberalism was a big part to the start of the American Revolution because of the fact that parliamentary acts that were formed without the consent of American legislators lead to the restriction of freedom in that of trade which upset the Americans and caused them to rebel against the English parliament for the reason that the acts were seen as direct attacks on their means of support.

French Revolution

Jul 14, 1789

The French Revolution was caused by the need for liberalism. This is because while the educated and rich had liberty in the political constitution, the poorer people with little education had to obey the feudal system which came with not having much opportunities and privileges. This meant that they could not expect to have a voice in government. The peasants also had to pay taxes and rebelled in order to fight for freedom.The development of democracy and freedom has helped the future of society

Industrial Revolution [18th to 19th C]

1800

The Industrial Revolution brought about a new way of life for many people who were used to the farm way of life instead of working in a factory. Machines were now used instead of hand production to get the work done faster. This created a downfall in the economy because of the lack of jobs as well as unjust conduct towards workers which created tension between the rich and the poor. This resulted in individual rights and freedoms as well as classical liberalism that we have in society today.

The Enlightenment

1800

The Enlightenment was a time where liberalism was at its best. Many philosophers thought of ideas which supported the view of liberalism. Some of these people were John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau. They all made it possible for society today to become liberalist. Some of these liberalist views include freedom of rights, the separation of political power from the people and the separation of church and state.

Changes to class system

1900

In the 19th century, changes were slowly being made to create a more individualist and liberal society for all citizens that were rich or poor. At the time, the class system was also being abolished and changed to have a basis upon one's wealth and status of work. Now that more people had a chance to have the freedom to buy and sell, there were more economic opportunities which allowed others to become wealthy. This has helped society today to let citizens have the individual right of business.