Development of Liberalism

An Athenian leader named Cleisthens introduced a new political system called "demokratia" or "rule by the people", which began the Ancient Greek Democracy. Citizens could vote directly on legislation, bills, and motions.
Ancient Greece was the first to exercise the principle of liberalism that people can make decisions that will benefit themselves and society. It was also the first system that gave citizens power in the government.

The King of England, John, signed a charter called the Magna Carta, which placed him and all of England's future monarchs under a rule of law.
The Magna Carta defines rights and laws including that no one is above the law, making everyone equal, and it ensured individual rights and freedoms.

The Renaissance was a period of intense economical, political, and intellectual change. Eventually, it lead to the creation of humanism and individualism.
Humanism believed in individual rights and freedoms, which made France's citizens have a more open outlook on life instead of a religious outlook. Overall, the Renaissance focused on the individual being the most important, which is the subject of classical liberalism.

The Haudenosaunee were formed when five nations formed an oral constitution called the Great Law of Peace, after being at war with each other. The Great Law of Peace established the division of powers among the government, freedom of speech, female equality, freedom of religion, and equal political participation.
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy established many individual rights and freedoms, and was one of the first participating democracy groups.

The Reformation was a series of events that occurred in Europe, and was initiated by Martin Luther. He believed that the Church had too much power. Countries started to stray away from the Roman Catholic Church, which allowed people to think for themselves because they weren't so influenced by the Church.
People started to make rational decisions instead of decisions based on faith, which is one of the beliefs of liberalism.

The Enlightenment was a period where European philosophy and politics were completely changed. People became "enlightened" and wanted more rights and freedoms. The theme most present during this period was individualism, thus equality was being further introduced.

The Industrial Revolution allowed for many (mostly agricultural and rural) societies in Europe and North America to become urban and industrialized.
Industrialization lead to many principles of classical liberalism such as economic freedom, private property, competition, and self interest.

The American Revolution resulted in the foundation of the worlds first liberal democratic government, resulting in the principles of classical liberalism being included in the American constitution. These include the belief that everyone is equal, and citizens have a role in the government.

The French Revolution further enforced the idea of the importance of the individual. It was a fight to implement liberalism for the rights of individuals in a society.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man was made after the revolution, which outlined the role in the government in making sure everyone has individual rights and freedoms.

There was a period of time during the 19th century where social class distinctions faded. Classes were separated by economic standing instead of social status, which gave individuals more freedom to move up in the new class system.
The change in the class system allowed individuals to have economic freedom.