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1215
Magna Carta
A document originally meant to be a compromise between King John and the barons. The document, in itself, mostly dealt with medieval right and customs except for one clause. This clause gave “free men” the right to justice and a fair trial. The document was called invalid by the Pope and a civil war ensued. When King Henry the III became ruler the document eventually became english law. -
1517
Martin Luther: 95 Thesis
Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses and hung it upon the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, denouncing the practice of the Catholic Church selling “Indulgences” (of which would supposedly clear one of their sins) and proclaiming that it is only through one’s faith that one may achieve salvation; not by their actions. This event led to the eventual fracturing of the Catholic Church and initiated a movement that diverged into the Protestant Reformation. -
Mayflower Compact
An agreement between the colonists of New Plymouth. The document established a civil body politic that would allow them to create laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and officers. -
Committees of Correspondence
The first Committee of Correspondence was established in Boston in 1772, in which intercolonial provisional governments were established by the patriots in response to British Rule. The Committees were a key component for communication by patriot leaders during the American Revolution. They were tasked with addressing the tea crisis, and they were also a driving force in the Boston Tea Party, which was carried out by the Sons of Liberty. -
Inclosure Acts (Enclosure Acts)
A law that was enacted that allowed landowners to enclose property and not allow common access. This allowed smaller landowners to combine their properties and enclose them so that they were not available to the general public. -
Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations
Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith wrote the Wealth of Nations. A country’s wealth use to be determined by the amount of precious metals the country held. Smith argued that a country’s wealth was not measured by the precious metals but rather the total of its production and commerce. His work influenced the political leaders of the time and entered into an era of free trade and economic expansion. -
Federalist Papers
A series of essays written anonymously to rally support of the ratification of the US Constitution. The essays were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. There was not enough support amongst the population of New York to ratify the Constitution over the Articles of Confederation. The papers were a way to give insight into the constitution and to interpret the intentions of those drafting it. -
Mary Wollstonecraft
Wollstonecraft is known for work in support of feminine philosophy, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft calls for equality between male and female, especially in regards to education. Wollstonecraft appears to suggest that many women are careless, but that with an education, they could reach their full potential. Wollstonecraft suggests an education plan in which male and female students are taught together in day classrooms. -
Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
A declaration of women's rights was proposed at the Seneca Fall Convention. Traditional roles placed woman second to men. Therefore, the declaration caused a large amount of controversy. Many people supported the intent of the document but were not willing to break from the norm. Some felt that in a time when temperance and female property rights were a big issue that this declaration would hinder the women’s rights movement. -
Karl Marx
Marx is known for his works, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848) and Das Kapital (1867). Marx criticized capitalism and the way that it’s structural deficiencies lead to poverty, illness, and early dead amongst the industrial working class. Marx proposed a revolution in which Communism would replace Capitalism, in which there is public ownership and control of natural resources and systems of production found in society. Marx envisioned a society without class divisions or government. -
Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Women
At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, Sojourner Truth spoke as an advocate for Women’s rights. Although there is controversy regarding what she actually said (there are two separate “recordings” - one by Frances Gage and the other by Rev. Marius Robinson for the Anti-Slavery Bugle) it is generally agreed that she highlighted her strength and her value as a woman. -
Max Weber: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
In Weber’s book, he explores the religious characteristics of Protestantism that influenced the emergence of capitalism. Calvinists believed that God had predeterminations for who was worthy of salvation, and they would define their profits, possessions, and activities as determinants of being chosen by God, thus there was incentive to pursue profit and material possession. Even after Protestant values no longer held relevance to Capitalism, the capitalist spirit has remained. -
John Maynard Keynes
John Keynes wrote The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, in which he theorized that in order to decrease high unemployment rates, then the lowering of wages should be avoided. Keynes cited how governments need to increase spending and to run a budget deficit in order to address high unemployment rates. As many governments were also looking for ways to spend more money, Keynes views were generally excepted. -
Port Huron Statement
A political manifesto for the North American student movement by Students For A Democratic Society. The manifesto talked about the problems in society and laid out a plan to for a better future. It called for participatory democracy through non violent civil disobedience. They also believed that citizens could help make social decisions that influence the quality and directions of their lives. -
Martin Luther King: I have a Dream
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered this speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, and it is considered to be the moment that defined the civil rights movement. King highlights the hypocrisy found in American rhetoric that states “freedom and justice for all”, but how black people continued to be abused and exploited. -
Derrick Bell
Derrick Bell is known for his contributions towards “Critical Race Theory”. Bell theorizes that "whites will promote racial advances for blacks only when they also promote white self-interest." Critical Race Theory is described as a critical analysis of racism from a legal perspective which points to institutional racism found in society and sites white supremacy as a power structure that continues to marginalize people of color. -
Milton Friedman
Friedman was a Nobel Peace prize winner in the field of economics. His award was for “his achievements in the fields of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy" (nobelprize.org). Friedman specialized in “the role of money in inflation and the consequent renewed understanding of the instrument of monetary policy" (nobelprize.org). -
Eve Sedgwick
Sedgwick is considered to be one of the founding members of queer studies. She wrote the book Epistemology of the Closet, in which she challenges the binary system between homosexuality and heterosexuality and claims that this system is too simplistic. -
Judith Butler
One of Judith Butler’s most influential books written is her 1990 book Gender Trouble. In her book, she sites how the feminist movement has perpetuated a perceived binary gender structure, when Butler argues that gender is fluid. Butler offers ideas on how gender is a social construct which results in individuals performing their genders. Butler emphasizes that genders are not (or should not be) predetermined by external biological evidence. -
Robert Putnam: Civil Society
Putnam engaged in a civic virtues study, Making Democracy Work, in which data regarding civic engagement and political institution performance was collected from Italy and then analyzed. Upon the analysis, Putnam found that communities that had the strongest economies and democracies were communities that could be characterized as having political equality, civic engagement, solidarity, trust, tolerance, and a strong associational lifestyle.