Classical Liberalism Timeline

Ancient Greeks held the idea of human potential and concentrated on human aspects such as capabilities, strength, beauty, and reason. In Ancient Greek culture, humans could be like gods and were in control of their own destinies. The first democracy was in Athens and was a Direct Democracy, however only 12% of Athenians, male Athenian nationals, had the right to participate in the democratic process, which required at least 40 meetings and only 1/6 of eligible males participated in any one meeting. They could only vote on public policy and political officers were chosen by drawing lots. The Greek's humanistic and individualistic way of thinking would later provide a wealth of inspiration and food for thought for European scholars during the Renaissance and the Reformation and for the philosophers of the Enlightenment.

During the medieval period, each European belonged to a distinct social group, such as peasants, craftsmen, clergy or nobles. The Roman Catholic Church held great power and authority was believed to be held by God and by His will, held on Earth by a king. There was little room for individualism in private, public, or political spheres. In 1215, the reigning monarch, King John, was known for his abuse of power and heavily taxed his Barons in order to fund his wars. The Barons captured him and demanded a negotiation in order to create peace between the monarch and his Barons. The Magna Carta gave 'free men' the right to due process and a fair trial. The Magna Carta is the earliest document in Europe that establishes the rule of law, individual rights and freedoms, and limited the powers of the monarch. Although these rights and freedoms only applied to a small portion of the population, it was a step towards individualism and is reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence.

The Renaissance, meaning "rebirth", experienced the revival of Greek and Roman thinking. Theologian Thomas Aquinas used ideas of Aristotle, a Greek scholar, to support teachings of the Christian church. Through use of logical argument and reason others followed suit. In the late 14th century, the Humanists emerged in Italy and France and developed an interpretation of history and beliefs about human nature, the structure of society and the purpose of life all based on reason. They focused on celebrating human accomplishments. Humanists celebrated human accomplishment and discovered meaning and purpose in love, beauty, art, and personal development. This focus on human accomplishment encouraged the questioning of the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Scholars from the East, in addition to Islamic scholars, had established translations of Greek writings and had developed their own commentaries, which was further translated into European languages and contributed to further thought development and debate regarding individualism within ancient philosophies. Therefore, the revival of Classical Greek and Roman philosophies regarding the central role of the individual in the world and an individual's worth, promoted individualism within Europe.

The confederacy of the Six Nations was based on an oral constitution, the Great Law of Peace, which specified how unity was to found among the Six Nations. The Great Law of Peace divided power within the levels of government, established equal participation of people of both genders within the government and it secured many rights and freedoms, including individual rights and the freedom of speech. Historians think that the Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by the Haudenosaunee people as the American Constitution is worded similarly to the Haudenosaunee oral constitution. Leaders of the Haudenosaunee also advised several Founding Fathers. The oral constitution served to provide a template and a springboard upon which the Founding Fathers could elaborate and add additional rights and freedoms.

Continuing in the belief in the importance of the individual in society during the Renaissance, the Reformation introduced the idea that reason was as significant as faith for Christians. The 16th and 17th centuries saw the Protestant Reformation, which opposed the Catholic Church's authority and corruption. At the same time people began to develop belief in the rationality of individual Christians. As Europeans experienced increased exposure to other people of various faiths, predominant thought surrounding the meaning of life was challenged. European societies during the Reformation reflected the belief that reason was as important as faith for Christians and helped to promote the growth of individualism as the Reformation challenged the Catholic Church's authority.

The Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason, was heavily influenced by the Renaissance and the Reformation of the previous centuries. Enlightenment philosophers had their beliefs entrenched in Greek and Roman philosophy, which engendered a revival that created new opinions about reason and logic and the role of the individual. European societies experienced instability as wars and the breakdown of the feudal economic order created new challenges and soon there were demands for individual rights and responsibilities and a limited role for the government. Mercantilism was heavily critiqued and the concept of the laissez-faire economic system, devoid of government involvement, was heavily promoted. Enlightenment thinkers advocated for democratic values, natural and inalienable rights, the worth of the individual and reasoning skills within individuals. They recommended that authority should be taken out of the hands of the ruler and instead be placed with the people. In these ways, the Enlightenment helped to promote the beliefs of classical liberalism that became a prominent ideology in the 19th century.

In 1801, the British government passed the Inclosure Act, whereby farmers were forced off the land to allow for the land to be held privately by individual's which forced large quantities of people into cities in search of work. Gold and silver from the New World allowed for new factories to be built and new technologies in the form of machinery replaced hand labour. Factories created wealthy owners and poverty entrenched workers. The new middle classes increased demands for better goods and steam engines allowed for large scale transportation and production. The Industrial Revolution transformed mercantile and agricultural-based Britain into an Industrial society ruled by capitalism. Economic freedom, individual freedom, private property, self-interest and competition were among the principles of classical liberalism that allowed individuals to freely seek economic prosperity. Developments in technology and the mechanization of agriculture and industry were also contributing forces that allowed for efficiency and increased profitability for individual entrepreneurs and inventors. As society valued the individual and minimal involvement in business by the government, it allowed middle and upper classes to prosper and innovation was on the rise, leading to great advancements. The development in technology and the new economy driven by classical liberal ideology provided a base upon which capitalism could thrive.

Prior to the Revolution, the Thirteen Colonies were ruled from afar by the British crown. American revolutionaries were deeply influenced by Enlightenment thinkers, particularly John Locke. Enlightenment philosophers inspired colonists in the Thirteen Colonies to declare independence and create a republican government whereby power of governing was given to the people and not the British crown or another monarch. The American Revolution produced the United States Declaration of Independence, which guaranteed inalienable rights, equality and freedoms. Classical liberalism served as both fuel for thought and as a goal by American revolutionaries. The principles of classical liberalism were also put into practice when America obtained its independence from the British and established their country on the Declaration of Independence, which was heavily woven with the principles of classical liberalism.

Heavy taxes, government corruption, inefficiency and debt, as well as the autocracy of King Louis XVI contributed to the French Revolution. The failure to include the Third Estate in matters pertaining to addressing the government's problems caused the people to revolt. While the leaders of the Revolution had their beliefs based within the principles of liberalism, the people who supported them turned the Revolution in the Reign of Terror. Several documents created during this time indicate that liberal thought was present in French society at the time. One of which, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, August 26, 1789, included the principles of equality and the right to liberty, property and security. The acknowledgment of these principles of liberalism transformed the existing class structure within France.

Due to changes being brought about in both technology and industry during the Industrial Revolution, a new middle class emerged. This new middle class was composed of factory owners, bankers, retailers, lawyers, engineers, commercial entrepreneurs and trading merchants, among others. This class was titled the nouveau riche and challenged the aristocratic class's power and position while demonstrating their wealth and extravagant lifestyles. Their ostentatious lifestyles contrasted with the factory workers and labourers who both worked and lived in horrible conditions which receiving insufficient wages. These workers had once been countryside population who had come to the cities due to the Inclosure Act and had created overcrowding and unsanitary living environments. These workers were able to be exploited not only by their employers, but also by their landlords, creating a poverty stricken miserable existence for workers. Although people began to criticize the new industrialized society, laws for the protection of workers were slow to pass due to governments in both North America and Europe, being firmly resistant to the restriction of economic freedom of employers and desire to keep the principles of classical liberalism.