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500
Ancient Greece
a direct democracy is a government where the people chose everything.This influenced America because the people vote for lots of things in the government. -
Nov 5, 1215
Magna Carta
An agreement between king and nobles stating that his power is limited. -
Mayflower Compact
The first governing document at Plymouth. This was a descision to create a government. -
Thomas Hobbes Levithian
Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher in the Enlightenment age. he said that the common wealth should be attained by social contracts -
John Locke Two Treatises on government
John Locke was a philosipher in the 1600s who helped influence the constitution. He stated that the government existed to serve the people, not the other way around. -
English Bill of Rights
Stated that all English citizens had rights too. Established a parliament. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau the Social Contract
Rousseau was an enlightenment philosopher who thought the only good government was the one freely formed by the people. He said that a government is only legitimate when it has the consent of the governed. -
Baron de Montesquieu On the Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu was an enlightenment philosopher who believed in the idea of seperation of powers. Influenced the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government. -
Voltaire Treatise on tolerance
Voltaire was a philosopher in the enlightenment age who believed that all men are created equal. He influenced the right to freedom of speech. -
Cesare Beccaria On Crime and Punishment
Beccaria was an enlightenment philosopher who who thought the punishment should be relative to the crime. He influenced the people's right to fair and speedy trial. -
First continential congress
In 1774, all states except for Georgia sent delegates to a hall in Philadelphia. They were sent to talk about how to make a resolution with Britain. -
Second continental congress
This time, all the delegates came to Philadelphia. They came to discuss how to get rid of Britain. -
Declaration of independence
The declaration of independence was a document to Britain that said they have had enough. This document included many reasons that the king was being a tyrant and that they are splitting up. -
Articles of confederation
Now that America was free, they needed to establish a government. This said that each state made their own constitution, some states even including a list of citizen's rights. -
Treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris was the treaty that ended the revolutionary war. This said that England had to finally break up with America, leaving it a free country at last! -
Shays's rebellion
Farmers were not getting any money because there were no taxes to support them. This led to a war veteran leading a rebellion, blocking off the courthouses until the militia came and broke it up. -
Philadelphia Convention
The convention that made it happen! The Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia, and they finally decided to make the constitution. -
Ancient Rome
a republic where a legislature chose everything.This influenced America because we now have a legislature to help us decide stuff