The Magna ChartaToday, June 15, 2006, is the 790th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta which took place at Runnymede, England on June 15, 1215. The history of liberty is very much a history of great charters. Many are familiar with the U.S. Constitution (1787), the Declaration of Independence (1776), but fewer are familiar with the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798), the Declaration of Arbroath (1320), and the paramount charter, the Magna Charta or the Great Charter (1215). This was the charter of English political and civil liberties granted by King John. It was a most pivotal event in the history of man, having important implications for the fight against tyranny in both church and state. It was signed under considerable duress by King John (of Robin Hood fame). It was perhaps the most important affirmation of "Christian liberties and all English liberties" prior to the Reformation, as this erudite article entitled "In the Meadow That Is Called Runnymede" points out.
Related Web Sites:
Answers.com - Magna Charta
Britannia: Magna Charta
British Library - Treasures in Full: The Magna Charta
National Archives - The Great Charters of Freedom
