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The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta
The Magna Carta
Ebook22 pages18 minutes

The Magna Carta

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The Magna Carta, or “The Great Charter of the Liberties” is one of the most important historical documents in English history and serves as a philosophical basis for democratic monarchy and civil liberties. The charter was originally drafted in response to a political crisis during the reign of King John who faced opposition from the church and from a group of rebellious barons. The Magna Carta placed restrictions on the monarch and provided an important precedent in suggesting that the king, like everyone else, was subject to the laws of the land. Though the Magna Carta was nullified shortly after it was signed into law in 1215, it continued to influence the philosophies on which the English and American political systems are based.

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LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateAug 11, 2015
ISBN9781443446396
The Magna Carta

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An in-depth explanation of the sections of this prominent document, and the historical context surrounding the subjects covered therein.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This short and well illustrated book covers the background events that led up to the issuing of Magna Carta 800 years ago today (though I understand from a separate article I read online that some historians think the actual issuing took place on the 19th, notwithstanding the date on the face of the four extant copies of the original issue). The author places the Charter firmly in its context of Plantagenet politics, resisting the tendency to over-romanticise it, and shows what it meant to its contemporaries, which is by no means always the same as it what had meant to succeeding generations. Nevertheless, among the many clauses that point to contemporary issues to do with property, inheritance and scutage, are key clauses on freedom of the individual from arbitrary use of state and judicial power, that have informed many subsequent constitutional documents including the US Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights. A great general introduction.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great little book and Introduction to the people, places and background of the Magna Carta, helping readers realiize why it was created and why it was important. The last chapter explores its legacy up to the modern age, and how it influenced the reformers of the 17th century England and later America- even when they read ideas into the charter that did not actually exist.

    Its also research tool, with some useful appendices, including the text of the Magna Carta in Latin and English, a timeline of events, and Brief Biographies of the leading figures.
    I for one tend to be a little skeptical of 'popular' history books written by people who are not trained historians, but Dan Jones' research seems to be sound, and this has whet my appetite for his next book, '1215' due for release later this year.

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The Magna Carta - HarperCollins

The Magna Carta

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CONTENTS

The Text of Magna Carta

About the Author

About the Series

Copyright

About the Publisher

The Text of Magna Carta

John, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Count of Anjou, to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants, and to all his officials and loyal subjects, greeting.

Know that before God, for the health of our soul and those of our ancestors and heirs, to the honour of God, the exaltation of the Holy Church, and the better ordering of our kingdom, at the advice of our reverend fathers Stephen, Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, and cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Henry Archbishop of Dublin, William Bishop of London, Peter Bishop of Winchester, Jocelin Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury, Hugh Bishop of Lincoln, Walter Bishop of Worcester, William Bbishop of Coventry, Benedict Bishop of Rochester, Master Pandulf Subdeacon and member of the papal household, Brother Aymeric Master of the Knighthood of the Temple in England, William Marshal Earl of Pembroke, William Earl of Salisbury, William Earl of Warren, William Earl of Arundel, Alan de Galloway Constable of Scotland, Warin Fitz Gerald, Peter Fitz Herbert, Hubert de Burgh Seneschal of Poitou, Hugh de Neville, Matthew Fitz Herbert, Thomas Basset, Alan Basset, Philip

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