Another in the Landmark series, this one was published in 1956, so expect it to be somewhat dated. It's still a fairly good overview, both of the historical context and events surrounding the famous charter, and what it itself entailed. There seem to be two primary camps, with regard to the Magna Carta, or Great Charter, technically the Magna Carta Libertatum, or Great Charter of Freedoms.
Some believe, as apparently the author, that it was the precursor to modernity, in that it was one of the first, and, arguably, most significant royal charters ever conceived, which guaranteed a series of rights and freedoms to the people, who were previously ruled by the whim of the king. Others state that it's overrated, and too much significance is placed on it, as it wasn't the first and certainly not the last contract which tried to establish certain rights and freedoms of, in particular, wealthy nobles who resisted the power of their sovereign.
The Magna Carta was drafted by the Archibishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, in an attempt to settle a conflict between the oft-villainized English king John and his rebellious barons, in the wake of a dispute over royal succession. After much armed conflict, as the book describes in a very accessible manner, King John met with rebel leaders at Runnymede, on the south bank of the Thames, on June 10, 1215, which was neutral ground between the royal fortress Windor Castle and the barons' outpost at Staines. The barons presented King John with the "Articles of the Barons," which over the course of about 10 days, morphed into the Magna Carta, or at least the initial draft (there would be several in succeeding years) which the king was essentially forced to accept. It was formally signed, and on June 19, the barons renewed their loyalty oaths to their king. Copies of the charter were then issued and circulated.
The charter is often considered the precursor to the modern Constitution. That point is debatable, but it is certainly notable as an early example of the guarantee of rights and protections to a group of citizens who had rebelled against royal authority. These included religious rights, protections against illegal or arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and a guarantee of a speedy trial (sort of), as well as limitations on payments to the crown.
The latter was significant, as John had lost much of his ancestral holdings in France to his rival King Philip II in 1204, which resulted in a near-constant state of warfare largely funded and supported by taxes on the king's barons. When John was defeated, as the book describes, he had to sue for peace and pay restitution, leading to even more financial hardship for his cash-strapped citizens. There were even rights for serfs, included, which was a departure indeed and managed to ruffle quite a few feathers. It's not surprising that the Magna Carta also created a council of 25 barons who would essentially administer the charter.
Also not surprisingly, this wasn't exactly popular with the royals, or their supporters, which, unfortunately, at the time included the Pope, Innocent III, who almost immediately annulled the charter, in a letter dated August 24, which arrived in September. He declared the charter shameful and demeaning, but also "illegal and unjust," and threatened to excommunicate anyone who had had a hand in it - including even beleaguered King John, should he honor or try to enforce it! This ushered in the war described in the book in some detail, the First Barons' War. The Pope made good on his threats, and excommunicated the rebel barons in addition to some clerics who supported them.
Perhaps fortunately for all, John wasn't long for this world, dying of dysentery in October, 1216. The son of the formidable Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, he didn't exactly impress or inherit his parents' greatness. He was nicknamed John Lackland because he wasn't expected to inherit much, but nor could he hold onto what he did inherit. The charter experienced something of a resurrection under Henry III, John's son and successor. Sensing that his end was near, John appointed a council to assist Henry in reclaiming the kingdom from the rebels, which ushered in a whole new series of conflicts, both at home and abroad.
It's something of a misnomer to call the Magna Carta a single document, as there were multiple iterations of it, in 1215, 1216 , 1217, 1225, and beyond, all of which featured varying provisions and stipulations. Another Great Charter was issued by King Edward I in 1297, so efforts at resolution were ongoing for a century.
One unique facet of this book is the section called Children of the Magna Carta, which the author lists as the Mayflower Compact, the US Constitution, all the way to the establishment of the United Nations Charter in the 20th century. It's certainly accurate to state that English colonists brought royal charters to the New World when they established the colonies there, which included the Massachusetts Bay and Virginia Charters of the 17th centuries, which likewise formalized the rights of the immigrants to the same liberties, franchises and immunities as English citizens. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties even contained some material likely copied from Clause 29 of the Magna Carta, which had become "the chief embodiment of English common law."
Whether or not you think it's overrated as a document, if not a concept, its far-reaching influence is still manifest today: there's a replica of it on display in the rotunda of the US Capitol building, and there's also a Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede, erected by the American Bar Association in 1957. This short volume is a good introduction to the time period and events surrounding the creation of this famous document, which definitively was a precursor to modern charters, which are essentially contracts which formally establish rights and protections of citizens, which is why the Great Charter of 1215 is still held in such great esteem today.
Some believe, as apparently the author, that it was the precursor to modernity, in that it was one of the first, and, arguably, most significant royal charters ever conceived, which guaranteed a series of rights and freedoms to the people, who were previously ruled by the whim of the king. Others state that it's overrated, and too much significance is placed on it, as it wasn't the first and certainly not the last contract which tried to establish certain rights and freedoms of, in particular, wealthy nobles who resisted the power of their sovereign.
The Magna Carta was drafted by the Archibishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, in an attempt to settle a conflict between the oft-villainized English king John and his rebellious barons, in the wake of a dispute over royal succession. After much armed conflict, as the book describes in a very accessible manner, King John met with rebel leaders at Runnymede, on the south bank of the Thames, on June 10, 1215, which was neutral ground between the royal fortress Windor Castle and the barons' outpost at Staines. The barons presented King John with the "Articles of the Barons," which over the course of about 10 days, morphed into the Magna Carta, or at least the initial draft (there would be several in succeeding years) which the king was essentially forced to accept. It was formally signed, and on June 19, the barons renewed their loyalty oaths to their king. Copies of the charter were then issued and circulated.
The charter is often considered the precursor to the modern Constitution. That point is debatable, but it is certainly notable as an early example of the guarantee of rights and protections to a group of citizens who had rebelled against royal authority. These included religious rights, protections against illegal or arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and a guarantee of a speedy trial (sort of), as well as limitations on payments to the crown.
The latter was significant, as John had lost much of his ancestral holdings in France to his rival King Philip II in 1204, which resulted in a near-constant state of warfare largely funded and supported by taxes on the king's barons. When John was defeated, as the book describes, he had to sue for peace and pay restitution, leading to even more financial hardship for his cash-strapped citizens. There were even rights for serfs, included, which was a departure indeed and managed to ruffle quite a few feathers. It's not surprising that the Magna Carta also created a council of 25 barons who would essentially administer the charter.
Also not surprisingly, this wasn't exactly popular with the royals, or their supporters, which, unfortunately, at the time included the Pope, Innocent III, who almost immediately annulled the charter, in a letter dated August 24, which arrived in September. He declared the charter shameful and demeaning, but also "illegal and unjust," and threatened to excommunicate anyone who had had a hand in it - including even beleaguered King John, should he honor or try to enforce it! This ushered in the war described in the book in some detail, the First Barons' War. The Pope made good on his threats, and excommunicated the rebel barons in addition to some clerics who supported them.
Perhaps fortunately for all, John wasn't long for this world, dying of dysentery in October, 1216. The son of the formidable Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, he didn't exactly impress or inherit his parents' greatness. He was nicknamed John Lackland because he wasn't expected to inherit much, but nor could he hold onto what he did inherit. The charter experienced something of a resurrection under Henry III, John's son and successor. Sensing that his end was near, John appointed a council to assist Henry in reclaiming the kingdom from the rebels, which ushered in a whole new series of conflicts, both at home and abroad.
It's something of a misnomer to call the Magna Carta a single document, as there were multiple iterations of it, in 1215, 1216 , 1217, 1225, and beyond, all of which featured varying provisions and stipulations. Another Great Charter was issued by King Edward I in 1297, so efforts at resolution were ongoing for a century.
One unique facet of this book is the section called Children of the Magna Carta, which the author lists as the Mayflower Compact, the US Constitution, all the way to the establishment of the United Nations Charter in the 20th century. It's certainly accurate to state that English colonists brought royal charters to the New World when they established the colonies there, which included the Massachusetts Bay and Virginia Charters of the 17th centuries, which likewise formalized the rights of the immigrants to the same liberties, franchises and immunities as English citizens. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties even contained some material likely copied from Clause 29 of the Magna Carta, which had become "the chief embodiment of English common law."
Whether or not you think it's overrated as a document, if not a concept, its far-reaching influence is still manifest today: there's a replica of it on display in the rotunda of the US Capitol building, and there's also a Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede, erected by the American Bar Association in 1957. This short volume is a good introduction to the time period and events surrounding the creation of this famous document, which definitively was a precursor to modern charters, which are essentially contracts which formally establish rights and protections of citizens, which is why the Great Charter of 1215 is still held in such great esteem today.
