Politics Timeline

By Mr.Ransom
  • Democracy develops in Athens, Greece.
    507 BCE

    Democracy develops in Athens, Greece.

    Democracy: A form of government where people elect representatives to make decisions and establish laws.
  • The Roman Senate votes to give extraordinary (dictatorial) powers to Octavian who then adopts the name Augustus, essentially ending the Roman Republic - democracy vanishes for centuries
    27 BCE

    The Roman Senate votes to give extraordinary (dictatorial) powers to Octavian who then adopts the name Augustus, essentially ending the Roman Republic - democracy vanishes for centuries

    Dictatorial: Having complete control over a country, like a dictator, without allowing freedom or democracy.
  • John Locke writes Two Treatises of Government outlining some liberal political ideals

    John Locke writes Two Treatises of Government outlining some liberal political ideals

    Liberal: A political philosophy emphasizing individual rights, democracy, and the protection of private property.
  • Montesquieu writes The Spirit of the Laws, explaining the need for three branches of government

    Montesquieu writes The Spirit of the Laws, explaining the need for three branches of government

    Three branches: The idea that government should be divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any one group from gaining too much power.
  • Benjamin Franklin writes to James Parker about the federal organization of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois League)

    Benjamin Franklin writes to James Parker about the federal organization of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois League)

    Federal: A system of government where power is split between central authority(president of a country) and smaller regions(mayors of a city)
  • The Continental Congress (representing the Thirteen Colonies) adopts the Declaration of Independence, starting the process of creating the US republic.

    The Continental Congress (representing the Thirteen Colonies) adopts the Declaration of Independence, starting the process of creating the US republic.

    Republic: A form of government where the people elect representatives to govern on their behalf.
  • The nation-state of Canada is created through the passage of the British North America Act, providing responsible government for the former colonies.

    The nation-state of Canada is created through the passage of the British North America Act, providing responsible government for the former colonies.

    Responsible government: A system of government where the executive is accountable to the elected legislature and must maintain its confidence to stay in power.
  • anada holds the first federal election to have secret ballot

    anada holds the first federal election to have secret ballot

    Secret ballot: A voting method that allows people to cast their vote in private to protect them from being influenced or ridiculed
  • Lenin dies, opening the door for Stalin to take power in the USSR (leading to a ruthless dictatorship)

    Lenin dies, opening the door for Stalin to take power in the USSR (leading to a ruthless dictatorship)

    Stalin: The leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death, known for ruling as a harsh dictator and using fear to control the country.
  • The Persons’ Case determines that women are in fact persons and should have full rights

    The Persons’ Case determines that women are in fact persons and should have full rights

    Persons’ Case: A landmark legal decision in Canada that recognized women as "persons" under the law, allowing them to be appointed to the Senate.
  • Hitler passes the Enabling Act, moving Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship

    Hitler passes the Enabling Act, moving Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship

    Enabling Act: A law that gave Hitler’s government the power to make laws without the parliament’s approval, helping him become a dictator.

  • First Nations peoples in Canada are granted suffrage

    Suffrage: The right to vote in elections
  • The Soweto Uprisings in South Africa protest the majority tyranny laws that prevented Black students from getting an education in their preferred language under the Apartheid rules; some students are killed by police

    The Soweto Uprisings in South Africa protest the majority tyranny laws that prevented Black students from getting an education in their preferred language under the Apartheid rules; some students are killed by police

    Majority tyranny: When the majority unfairly controls or oppresses smaller groups, ignoring their rights.
  • The Reform Party of Canada is created; one of their key platforms is the Triple E Senate.

    The Reform Party of Canada is created; one of their key platforms is the Triple E Senate.

    Triple E Senate: A plan for a Senate that is Elected, Equal, and Effective.

  • The referendum on the Charlottetown Accord, which would include special rights for First Nations and Francophone Canadians, fails to pass.

    Referendum: A direct vote where citizens are asked to either accept or reject a particular law/bill.

  • George W. Bush wins his first term as president of the United States without winning a majority of the votes due to the US electoral college system.

    Electoral college: A voting system in the United States where citizens vote for electors who then vote for the president, meaning the candidate with the most individual votes doesn’t always win.
  • The Harper Government passes Bill C-16, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act, which brings in fixed date elections to Canada’s federal electoral system

    The Harper Government passes Bill C-16, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act, which brings in fixed date elections to Canada’s federal electoral system

    Fixed date elections: A system where elections happen on a set schedule rather than whenever the government decides, making the process more predictable and fair.

  • President Mugabe of Zimbabwe blames the UK for the cholera outbreak in his country, thus making the UK a scapegoat for the problems being faced in his country.

    Scapegoat: A person or group blamed for problems they didn’t cause, to take attention away from the real issue.