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4000 BCE
First Evidence of Democracy
In Mesopotamia, there was the first evidence of a government similar to that of a democracy. Citizens would gather with presiding members to come to a decision through consensus -
518 BCE
Origin of "Democracy"
In Ancient Greece, they would have a system of government where it was ruled by the people. All men were eligible to vote, while women and slaves could not. This was also the origin of the word democracy, as “demos” was people in Greek and “kratein” was rule. -
508 BCE
Voting in Rome
In Rome, all male citizens born to an Athenian father were able to vote past the age of 18 and had freedom of speech. Women and slaves were not eligible to vote. -
Jun 15, 1215
Signing of the Magna Carta
In England, nobles had forced the king to sign the Magna Carta. This was crucial as it meant that the law was above everything and even the king was required to obey it. -
Jan 1, 1248
Mexico
Aztecs had a system of government where city-states would pay tributes to the emperor. The emperor was chosen from a royal family by high ranking nobles. -
Jan 1, 1295
An Elected Body
Edward I adopts the idea of a government with an elected body
He was the first king to call a parliament. -
The Habeas Corpus Act
The Habeas Corpus Act is passed in England, which meant individuals could no longer be imprisoned unlawfully -
Rise of Democracy
The idea of democracy had sprung up into many people's minds. Some of these people included Voltaire, Rousseau, Buffon and Diderot, who all wanted the government to ask what citizens wanted. -
American Constitution
This was the creation of the American Constitution, which was one of the oldest democratic constitutions. America had established a federal government -
The French Revolution
The French revolution had overthrown King Louis XVI, the monarch. This made it the first time France had a democratic government. -
Swiss Democracy
Switzerland is one of the first countries to have established a direct democracy. This meant that the people could have a direct say about the decisions the country makes. -
Suffrage for Women
New Zealand was one of the very first countries to have granted full voting rights for women. Although, they still weren’t eligible to stand for parliament -
Women in Canada
Almost all types of women gained the right to vote in federal elections in Canada. This was important as it allowed women to have a say in politics as well. -
Democracy in India
India becomes independent from the British Empire and changes into a democratic government, to which later on becomes the world's largest democratic country. -
Canadian Bill of Rights
Canada passes a statute where it gave citizens quasi-constitutional rights at federal law
