The Magna Carta, or Great Charter, is a document created for the purpose of limiting the powers of the monarch and preserving the basic legal rights of all free men in England. It was made after a rebellion in 1215 against King John of England, a corrupt, absolute monarch who angered all those under the influence of his power. The Barons, rich land owners and direct vassals of the King, would no longer tolerate the abuses of power conducted under John’s reign, and demanded a change in government. John was forced to meet with them at Runnymede on June 15, 1215. There the Barons proposed the Magna Carta, a document similar to, as well as an ancestor of, the Bill of Rights. After several days of debate, the King gave in to the Barons’ demands and adopted the charter into the British system of government on June 19th.
The Magna Carta was eventually sent out to all of the towns and provinces of England so that all free men could see their basic legal rights. Among the rights granted by the document are a trial by jury, a punishment fitting and not excessive to the crime, and no taxation without representation. To whom these rights were granted has been heavily debated. The barons who created the Magna Carta originally intended it to protect only the rich, upper class of the feudal system. It was reinterpreted by many leaders and politicians for years after it was created, and with each it was applied to more and more groups of people. With the interpretation of Sir Edward Coke, a 17th century British Secretary of State, the rights in the Magna Carta could even be applied to American colonists. The colonists felt that the government was violating a basic right granted them in the charter, they were being taxed without representation in Parliament. This belief led to the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
The Magna Carta marked a turning point in world history. Until the 13th century in England, European rulers were absolute monarchs. With absolute rule came absolute power; these rulers had the power to do and order anything they chose. The end of absolute power in Britain came with the revolutionary Magna Carta, which established a set of laws that not even the king could violate. The same laws that applied to the lowest class of society applied to everyone, even to the royal family. The Magna Carta was a major first step toward the democracies of today, governments in which there are no monarchs but rather self governing citizens.
Site for further Information
"The Magna Charta"
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1400/magna.htm
Note: This is a transcript of everything the Magna Carta says.
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