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500 BCE
The birth of democracy
The development of democracy in Athens was important within itself because considering the many flaws it was one of the first governments that had fairly equal rights without inequity such as money or popularity. this is a collage including:
- the Bouleuterion (where the council of 500 men met and resolved issues, decided on prosecutions, provide verdicts.)- the men meeting in the bouleuterion
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Period: 500 BCE to
government and democracy
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100
The Roman Empire and bureaucracy
The success of the Roman Empire and its bureaucracy has a high significance because some of the components are similar to things we have in the modern world, including infrastructure, culture, healthcare. The Roman Empire had strong armies and government, which allowed them to conquer most of Western Europe, Greece, the Middle East, and North Africa. This is a map of the Roman Empire in 117 AD. -
1215
The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta is thought to be one of the first strides toward creating parliamentary democracy in England. This legislation influences Common Law as we know it today and is important because it motivated many countries to think more about application of the law and civil liberties. Without the Magna Carta the democratic form of government may not be what it is today because it was one of the key bases of democracy and allowed governments to think more about human rights. The Magna Carta -
Thomas Hobbs Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes' beliefs were that people's rights should be equal and that no one should rule over anyone else expect for the king. Hobbes also believed that no one can survive without a strong government to enforce laws and protect the citizens. Though some people thought Hobbes' views were insane, people in the present day still discuss Hobbes' ideas and beliefs because he debated the limitations and powers the government should have. -
The Industrial Revolution pt. 1
The Industrial Revolution created many jobs in factories and in many fields there was no longer need for individual craftsmen because machines could do the job much faster. Because the factories were centered in cities and towns, many people moved from rural areas to cities. Many jobs were created at many workplaces, and eventually some became unionized. Unions were a strong force at the time and they were able to pressure industrialists and governments to provide better working conditions. -
The American Revolution
The American Revolution was critical because it secured the independence of the Unites States from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence is one of the foundations of U.S. history; it lays out the main goals of the United States. It has the ideology that the government is meant to serve the people. A democratic government is about serving the people so I think that the American revolution was so important because it set these laws in stone. -
The French Revolution
The French revolution was very violent, but it did result in many changes to the government that led in a democratic direction including, women's rights, the right to freedom of speech and religion, abolition of the hereditary privileges, redistribution of property, taking political power away from the Catholic church, and putting an end to the monarchy. Though it presented democratic ideals, it did not make France a democracy at that time. -
The Industrial Revolution pt. 2
The later parts of the Industrial Revolution also opened up more jobs for women and, with their newfound wealth and power, women started demanding more rights, including the right to vote. So clearly a lot was changing in the government and they had to pass much more economic and social legislations. -
Women's Suffrage
More women started to be able to work and earn money, and with that they gained a sense of independence because now they didn't have to rely on men to provide for them. Then they started to pressure society and the government for more rights, including the right to vote. Women eventually also gained the right to run for political office. -
The Great Depression pt. 1
At first, after the stock market crash in 1929, governments didn't do anything to fix the economy because they thought it would fix itself, however as it progressively got worse, they had to take action in the economy and help their citizens out. The government began to provide national unemployment insurance and employment services, expanding the role of government in a new direction. -
The Great Depression pt. 2
Overall, the Great Depression impacted democracy in a negative way because the lack of strong leadership led to many countries to adopt autocratic governments, that is what led to a lot of fascism in Germany, Italy and Spain. Because of all these factors, we had to shift into a more socialist democracy -
The Civil Rights Movement
In the 1950s and 60s, the Civil Rights movement gained a lot recognition in the U.S. Many people agreed with the things this movement was vouching for, including rights and protections for Blacks in the country, as well as rights about education, property, race, and more human rights. Around this time in the middle of the 20th century, governments were passing many legislations about all of these human rights. -
The Student Movement
The SDS was a group of activists who protested against the Vietnam war and they were also involved in the Civil Rights Movement. They organized a march to Washington D.C and Michigan. A group within the SDS used terrorist tactics to put pressure on the government. -
The "end" of Communism
Some people think that the end of communism was when the Berlin wall fell, that also signified the end of the Cold War. Around this time a lot of former communist governments in the old USSR became democratic. -
The End of Apartheid
Apartheid was a policy in South Africa and South West Africa which allowed lots of segregation. South Africa was ruled by the nation's minority, white people. People across the world and within South Africa pressured the country's government to retract the apartheid policy. Apartheid finally ended in 1990 along with the help of Nelson Mandela who in 1990 was finally released from jail after 27 years of imprisonment for allegedly committing sabotage against the African Government. -
The LGBTQ+ Movement
Canada is considered the most gay-friendly country in the world. Canada has seen critical changes in the past few decades regarding LGBTQ rights. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2005, and the vast majority of Canadians support this. The Canadian government has stated that every individual is equal. In major cities, such as Toronto, Canada celebrates gay pride every summer, with political figures from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments. -
The Black Lives Matter Movement
Black people have been oppressed for many years. Several recent shootings of Black people in America sparked conversation about the inequality of Black people especially on social media. Tons of information about this injustice has been spread and people are learning more about this. There have been many protests in different states and around the world. Though the U.S. government continues to disregard this movement people are determined and won't stop protesting until there are equal rights. -
The COVID-19 Pandemic
Some people say the government is not being democratic during this pandemic because they are telling us to shut down for isolation. Yet the government and health officials are trying to protect average Canadians and make decisions for the common good. Canada is also going into debt helping people who have lost jobs, and in later years Canadians will have to pay more taxes to pay back that debt. The government needs to find the balance between helping people and not being too controlling.
