The document provides an overview of a unit on the rise of democracy. It discusses how Greece's physical geography of isolated city-states led to the development of the first democratic societies. The poor soil forced Greeks to colonize the Mediterranean coast and engage in trade, establishing a mercantile economy. This economy led to the rise of a middle class that grew more powerful than kings and demanded equal political power, establishing the concept of citizenship and democracy in Greek city-states. The unit will examine the rise and fall of ancient Greek and Roman democracies and subsequent developments through modern democratic revolutions.

1. The Rise of Democracy

2. Key Concept
Change
Unit 4 – Rise of Democracy
Statement of Inquiry
Changes in society can require changes in governance.
Global Context
Orientation in
Time and Space
Related Concepts
Power, innovation and revolution,
governance
Inquiry Questions
Factual: Identify key causes of democratic revolutions.
Conceptual: Explain why the road to democracy so difficult.
Debatable: Discuss whether democratic/market-based societies are the
final stage of societal evolution.
ATL Skills: Social
• Give and receive meaningful feedback
• Encourage others to contribute
• Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas
Assessments
1) Research outline
2) Oral presentation
3) June Exam (cumulative)

3. Winston Churchill
“Many forms of government have been tried, and will be
tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that
democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said
that democracy is the worst form of government except
for all those other forms that have been tried from time to
time."
(Speech in the House of Commons, November, 11, 1947).

4. Who cares?
(Why does this matter?)
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

6. Political Spectrum Quiz
Where do you fall on the spectrum?
Take this quiz to find out -
https://www.politicalcompass.org/test

7. Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview
Until 300 years ago, we only had
two models for society...
Tribal
Societies
Civilizations &
Empires

8. ...and they couldn't have been
more different.
E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

9. Where they met, tribalism lost.
E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

10. But our tribal past was genetically wired into us...
E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

11. And we never forget those
tribal values.
E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

12. 1)
2)
3)
4)
1)
2)
3)
4)
Best aspects of each ?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

13. 1) Democratic principles
2) Individual value within the group
3) Community safety net
4) Connection to nature
1) 8 aspects of civilisation
2) Concentrated wealth to build/create
3) Collective security
4) Control over nature
Best aspects of ?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

14. E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
Can we have the best of both?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

15. E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
And what would that look like?
?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

16. E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
And so, the 10,000 year-old question is what is the best model to
organize societies:
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

17. E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
And what would that look like?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

18. Unit Sections
Part I Rise and Fall of Ancient Democracies (Greece + Rome)
Part II Fall of the Roman Empire
Part III European Renaissance ("rebirth")
Part V French (and US) Revolutions
Part IV Modern Democratic Revolutions
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

19. Part I
Rise of Democracy
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

21. Q . Why would physical geography be a factor in establishing the
world's first democracies?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview
Read the article “Why was poor soil Greece’s greatest gift?” P.4-7 found in the Unit 4 Schoology Folder.
Athens - Dawn of Democracy Video

22. Athens - Dawn of Democracy Video
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview
Create an Exit Card based on the documentary - Dawn of Democracy
3 Things you found interesting about Athenian Democracy
2. Questions you still have about Athenian Democracy
1. What is one similarity and one difference the Athenian model of democracy
with
that of a Western European Country?

23. Greece was a collection of
some 1500 separate
communities scattered round
the Mediterranean and Black
Sea shores "like frogs
around a pond".
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

24. In other words: Why couldn't the massive and powerful Persian Empire
conquer Greece?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

25. I. Why Ancient Greece?
A. Physical geography
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

26. I. Why Ancient Greece (and Rome)?
A. Physical
geography
1) Isolated city-
states are
difficult to
unite or
conquer by
internal or
external
forces.
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

27. I. Why Ancient Greece?
A. Physical geography
1) Isolated city-states are difficult to unite or conquer by
internal or external forces.
2) Limestone makes terrible soil, which meant they had to
find food to support growing populations.
Because of #1, Greeks couldn't simply expand like
other empires.
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

28. Q . So if we can't grow food and we can't
conquer new territory, what are our options?
?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

29. Q . So if we can't grow food and we can't conquer new territory, what are
our options?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

30. I. Why Ancient Greece?
A. Physical geography
1) Isolated city-states are difficult to unite or conquer by
internal or external forces.
2) Limestone makes terrible soil, which meant they had to
find food to support growing populations.
- Because of #1, Greeks couldn't simply expand like
other empires.
3) Mountains and poor soil force Greeks to colonize
Mediterranean; sea access makes this possible.
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

31. Q . How would colonies lead to the first democratic society?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

32. Q . How would colonies lead to the first
democratic society?
Population
Athens
Population
Athens'
Colonies
manufactured goods
food and
raw materials
the "mercantilist"
model
(early period)
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

33. Capitalist Republics
The Rise of Democracy
Why Greece?
Q . How would colonies lead to the first
democratic society?
Population
Athens
Population
Athens'
Colonies
manufactured goods
food and
raw materials
the "mercantilist"
model
(over time)

34. I. Why Ancient Greece?
B. Greece created a "mercantile" (colonial) economy
1) Food and raw materials flow to the mother city-state
2) Manufactured goods flow back to colonies
3) Through job specialization, mother city-state grows rich
and powerful
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

35. Q . Many empires were also rich. Why would
a "mercantile" economy lead to democracy?
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

36. Traditional Feudal System
(all empires, including Homeric Greece)
wealth concentrates
at top
(through control
of land)
peasants couldn't revolt
because they'd starve
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

37. Capitalist Republics
The Rise of Democracy
Why Greece?
Sidebar: Trade generates wealth faster than agriculture

38. Capitalist Republics
The Rise of Democracy
Why Greece?
Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
wealth concentrates
at top
(through control
of land)
merchants (traders) begin creating wealth that is NOT connected to owning land
(or directly controlled by the king)

39. Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
wealth concentrates
at top
(through control
of land)
over time, merchants become richer than many of the kings and nobles they serve
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

40. Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
wealth concentrates
at top
(through control
of land)
if kings tax merchants too heavily, they simply go to another city-state, allowing
merchants to
"shop around" for the "best city"
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

41. Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
kings borrow money from
merchants, give away
powerful positions
merchants become increasingly powerful in the city-state, often respected by people
as "one of them"
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

42. Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
now that leadership is no longer based
on birth or gods, anyone can lead so other
powerful people demand power
(merchants, artisans, plantation owners)
merchants replace kings, called
"tyrants"
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

43. Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
as middle class grows, all
members of society
demand "equality" and the notion of
a "citizen" is born
merchants replace kings, called
"tyrants"
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

44. Early Mercantilist System
(ancient Greek city-states)
(foreigners)
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

45. Capitalist Republics
The Rise of Democracy
The polis was grounded in nomos, the rule of law, which meant
that no man—no matter who he might be—was master, and all
men were subject to the same rules. Any leader who set himself
above the law was reckoned to be a tyrannos—a tyrant. It was
also grounded in the notion of citizenship—the idea that every
man born from the blood of the community has a share in power
and responsibility. This notion that ... the proper way for us to live
is as citizens in communities under the rule of law ... is an idea
originated by the Greeks and bequeathed by them as their
greatest contribution to the rest of mankind and history. It meant
that Greeks were willing to live, fight, and die for their poleis...
— Robert L. Dise, Jr., 2009

46. I. Why Ancient Greece?
B. Greece created a "mercantile" (colonial) economy
1) Food and raw materials flow to the mother city-state
2) Manufactured goods flow back to colonies
3) Through job specialization, mother city-state grows rich
4) Expanding middle class overthrows kings (and tyrants)
and develops the concept of "citizenship" where ALL
citizens have equal political power.
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

47. ... and democracy is born
E conomic
shared concentrated
P olitical
Rise of Democracy
Unit Overview

48. Capitalist Republics
Unit Overview
middle class
democracy

50. ● How you would define the word revolution?
● How would you distinguish a revolution from a
civil war, an uprising, a coup d’etat, a rebellion or
revolt, or a protest or demonstration?
● What elements do revolutions and other kinds of
conflicts have in common?
● What elements set them apart? Are some of these
terms synonymous? If so, which ones?
● Can the word revolution be used to mean different
things? What examples from history illustrate your
ideas?
REVOLUTIONS

56. The French Revolution
Context
What?
Where?
When?

57. Causes
Environmental Economic
Political Social

58. Consequences
Environmental Economic
Political Social