The Story of the First Government: How People Organised Themselves to Work Together 🤝

This is a long, long time ago story. 🏞️ When people lived in small groups called tribes 🏕️. Everyone had a job to do. Some people hunted 🏹, some gathered berries 🍓, and others made clothes 👗 or took care of the fire 🔥. They worked together to keep everyone safe and happy 😊. As time passed, groups got bigger, humans realized new organisation was needed!

The people began to notice that organizing all these different tasks wasn’t easy. So they needed to organize themselves better to share food 🍞, build homes 🏠, and stay safe 🛡️. That’s when they came up with an idea: they needed leaders 👑 to help guide them. The word government Gov 👏 ern 👏 ment 👏comes from the Latin root “gubernare” 🛶, which means “to steer” or “to direct” ⛵. Just like a captain steers a ship 🚢, the government helps guide or rule people 👥.

The first government wasn’t a fancy building with laws like we have today. It started with wise leaders—people the group trusted because they made good decisions 🏛️ 👥. These leaders would listen to the group’s problems and help find solutions 🔄. If there wasn’t enough food 🍲, they decided who would go hunting 🎯 or find new places to gather 🌾. If people argued 😠, the leaders helped them talk it out and solve the problem 🤝.

As more people joined the groups and the groups turned into villages, towns, and cities, 🏘️ 🌆, the government had to grow too.🧑‍⚖️ Because one person couldn’t do it all. So, the people created different parts of the government, each with a special job. Some people made the rules. These rules helped decide things like where people could build their homes, how to share water, and how to protect each other. 📜, others made sure the rules were followed 👮, and judges ⚖️ helped if there was a disagreement.

And just like that, the first government was born 🌱. It helped people live peacefully ✌️, share what they had 🍽️, and stay safe together 👫. How do you think early leaders decided who would do what jobs, like hunting or gathering food?

Here are some follow-up questions to spark further curiosity and thinking after the story :

1. Why do you think the first groups of people needed leaders to help them make decisions?

2. What kind of problems do you think early people faced that made them realize they needed rules?

3. How do you think life would be if there were no leaders or rules?

4. Why do you think people trusted their leaders to make fair decisions for everyone?

5. What kinds of rules do you think were most important for early people living together?

6. What would happen if someone broke the rules? How do you think early governments handled this?

7. If you lived in one of the first groups of people, what kind of leader would you want to be? Why?

8. Do you think it’s better for a group to work together or to have one person make all the decisions? Why?

9. How is the way early people worked together similar to the way we work together today in schools or communities?

PS: The story of the first governance naturally leads into stories of other civilizations’ governments, such as the Ancient Incas. These stories show how human societies evolved their systems to meet growing needs. After introducing early leadership in small tribes, the Inca story demonstrates the complexity of advanced governance required to manage a large empire.

These stories of ancient civilizations and their governments beautifully illustrate how Geography and History are deeply interconnected. From the vast steppes of Mongolia to the mighty Incan Empire, each civilization was shaped not only by its leaders but by the land and people they governed. The stories remind us of the power of cooperation, how societies came together to solve problems, create laws, and build thriving communities. Through the wisdom of past rulers and the teamwork of their people, we see how collaboration can lead to peace and progress

With Montessori Joy,

Vanina 😊