Evolution of Democracy

The Code of Hammurabi (1750 BC)

Jan 1, 1000

1. In ancient Babylon, Hammurabi was the first king to create a legal code.
2. There are many specific laws. Some laws identify penalties for law breaking.

King John I: Magna Carta

Jan 1, 1215

1. In thirteenth century England, King John was made to recognize the historic rights of Englishmen.
   
2. All English subjects have the right to be judged by their peers according to the law.

John Locke: Concerning Civil Government

Jan 1, 1690

1. During the Glorious Revolution, the English philosopher John Locke defended the freedom and equality of all men.
2. Locke said that political authority can come only from the consent of the governed.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Aug 26, 1789

1. During the French Revolution of 1789, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man asserted that sovereignty (ultimate authority) stems from the nation.
2. Every citizen should have the rights and freedoms that can be guaranteed equally to all other citizens as well.

Amendment XV to Constitrution of the U.S.

Feb 3, 1870

1. Soon after the American Civil War and the end of slavery in the United States, the U.S. Constitution was amended.
2. The Fifteenth Amendment ensures that race, colour, or being a former slave will not prevent American citizens from voting.

New Zealand: Election Act

Jan 1, 1893

In 1893, New Zealand became the world's first country to allow women to vote.

U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Dec 10, 1948

1. After World War Two, the newly formed United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
2. The Declaration identifies the civil, political, social, and economic rights of all human beings.

European Member States

Jan 1, 1992

1. In 1992, the Treaty of Maastricht changed the European Economic Community (EEC) into the European Union (EU).
2. The Treaty aimed to promote greater unity and cooperation between the states of Europe.