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500
Ancient Greece
Greece used direct democracy in ancient times. -
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Great Charter of the Liberties of England. Issued under the oath of King John. The Magna Carta included fundamental rights as trial by jury and due process of law, protection against the arbitrary taking of life, liberty, or property. -
May 9, 1549
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome used a mix of democracy and oligarcy. -
Mayflower Compact
Plymouth colony's first governing document. -
Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan, 1651)
The book written and pulished by Thomas Hobbes, regardes the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory. -
John Locke (Two Treaties of Government, 1689)
Civilized society based on natrual rights and contract theory. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract, 1692)
The Social Contract helped inspire political reforms in Europe, especially in France. It argues aganist the idea that monarches divinely empowered to legislate. He believes only the people, who are sovereign, have that all-powerful right. -
Baron de Montesquieu (On the Spirit of Laws, 1748)
France used the constitutional theory for liberty and separation of powers. -
Voltaire (Treatise on Tolerance, 1763
Calls for toerance between religions. -
Cesare Beccaria (On Crime and Punishment, 1764)
Condemns torture and the death penalty, and was a founding work in the field of penology. -
First Continental Congress
In 1774, Parliament passed another set of laws, this time to punish the colonists for the troubles in Boston. These new laws, as known as the Intolerable Acts, in America. -
Second Continitional Congress
During the fall and winter of 1774-1775, the British government continued to refuse the compromise. The Second Continental Congress met Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. The Revolution had begun. The "shots heard 'round the world" had been fired. -
Declaration of Independence
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America. It was largely the work of Thomas Jefferson. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was ratified November 15, 1777. They are "a firm league of friendship" among the States. Each State kept its sovereignty, freedom, and independence. -
Shay's Rebellion
A series of incidents known as Shays' Rebellion. -
Treaty of Paris
Signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain that ended the Revolutionary War. -
Philadelphia Convention (Constitional Convention)
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Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments of the Constitution. They include guarantees such as the right to a fair trial, and freedom from exessive bail and from cruel and unusual punishment.