Magna Carta And Its Modern Legacy

In this book top scholars analyse the historic and contemporary influence of Magna Carta, challenging its common myths.

Published to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, this lavishly illustrated volume draws on archival research undertaken by the Arts and Humanities Research Council's Magna Carta project. With full-colour photographs of more than 30 Magna Cartas from around the world, it outlines the story of the charter's publication in 1215, describes how the document was distributed to the people, and places changes to subsequent versions of Magna Carta within their historical context.

When it was granted by King John in 1215, the Magna Carta was a practical solution to a political crisis. In the centuries since, it has become a potent symbol of liberty and the rule of law. Drawing on the rich historical collections of the British Library--including two original copies of Magna Carta from 1215--this book brings to life the history and contemporary resonance of this globally important document. It features treasured artifacts inspired by the rich legacy of Magna Carta, including Thomas Jefferson's handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence and an original copy of the Bill of Rights.

For 800 years, the Magna Carta has had a formative impact on democracy and liberty, with influence spanning the world. In Canada, the Great Charter has had a unique influence on history and common law. Its legacy includes some of the nation's fundamental laws and defining relationships. This book complements the 2015 Magna Carta Canada exhibition.

This book provides an original and multidisciplinary approach on Magna Carta (1215) as a joint heritage, a source of inspiration both for long established democracies and countries which only recently experienced the Rule of Law. Far from simply extolling the virtues associated with Magna Carta, it explores the gaps of the Great Charter. Instead of dealing separately with the historians’ and the lawyers’ outlooks as two conflicting perspectives, it juxtaposes the views of medievalist and contemporary historians with those of practicing lawyers and law academics, offering readers a thorough yet accessible historic and legal analysis of the charter and its meaning for the citizens of twenty-first century democracies. At a time of the erosion of civil liberties and fundamental rights, The Rights and Aspirations of the Magna Carta provides a rare insight into the 1215 medieval charter and its legacy.

A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one of the most influential statements in the history of democracy, as part of the stunning landmark library series. On a summer's day in 1215 a beleaguered English monarch met a group of disgruntled barons in a meadow by the river Thames named Runnymede. Beset by foreign crisis and domestic rebellion, King John was fast running out of options. On 15 June he reluctantly agreed to fix his regal seal to a document that would change the world. A milestone in the development of constitutional politics and the rule of law, the 'Great Charter' established an Englishman's right to Habeas Corpus and set limits to the exercise of royal power. For the first time a group of subjects had forced an English king to agree to a document that limited his powers by law and protected their rights. Dan Jones's elegant and authoritative narrative of the making and legacy of Magna Carta is amplified by profiles of the barons who secured it and a full text of the charter in both Latin and English.

A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one of the most influential statements in the history of democracy, as part of the stunning landmark library series. On a summer's day in 1215 a beleaguered English monarch met a group of disgruntled barons in a meadow by the river Thames named Runnymede. Beset by foreign crisis and domestic rebellion, King John was fast running out of options. On 15 June he reluctantly agreed to fix his regal seal to a document that would change the world. A milestone in the development of constitutional politics and the rule of law, the 'Great Charter' established an Englishman's right to Habeas Corpus and set limits to the exercise of royal power. For the first time a group of subjects had forced an English king to agree to a document that limited his powers by law and protected their rights. Dan Jones's elegant and authoritative narrative of the making and legacy of Magna Carta is amplified by profiles of the barons who secured it and a full text of the charter in both Latin and English.

The constitutional foundation of English (and perhaps world) freedoms