Preview

Magna Carta Importance

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
610 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Magna Carta Importance
In June 1215 The Magna Carta was sealed between the barons of England and King John. This document was one of the first times in history where not only the rich and powerful, but everybody was promised fair laws and in particular, the right to a fair trial.
In Latin, 'Magna Carta' means "Great Charter" and this great charter is directly relevant to a large amount of areas in our lives. It has had huge significance for us today, especially concerning human rights and the establishment of the Human Rights Act in 1988.
The barons of Medieval England and King John wrote the Magna Carta as an agreement between them, putting a series of promises between the King and his subjects into writing.
King John abused his power and as a result the people
…show more content…

Constitution in 1797 was also influenced a great deal by the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. The Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights were also the inspiration for some of the most important ideas behind the French Revolution.
We can see, not only on the 1689 Bill of Rights but also the famous American Constitution that the Magna Carta, written 500 years earlier has made a large imprint in these major political documents.
The holocaust and horror of World War II led the members of the UN to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This Declaration was described as the 'international Magna Carta' for human kind. This demonstrated that even though the complex world of the 20th century brought problems unthinkable in the medieval period, the Magna Carta of 1215 was the origin of many ideas of human rights, which are still very relevant in modern society.
Of equal importance, the Magna Carta was being quoted in the Declaration of Human Rights, one of the most important documents of its time and everyone could understand the ideas behind it.
Whether we are discussing the lack of basic rights in countries such as Kenya, Syria or Zimbabwe, terrorism or dictatorship, the Magna Carta has become a symbol for fighting against lack of rights and oppression and it is this which makes it so relevant


You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    III. In America, the Magna Carta was constantly cited when our government was being drawn up and in Supreme Court discussions; is referenced to in political discussions and inaugural addresses; and even the language in the U.S. Constitution echoes that of the…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It was one of the world’s greatest documents of freedom. It was signed by King John in 1215.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was created by a group of barons in the 13th century. |The Magna Carta was later used as a base foundation |…

    • 1747 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    The historical evolution of habeas corpus born from the Magna Carta, known as the English Bill of Rights began in England in the early 1200s. Under force from English barons, King John of England placed his signature on the Magna Carta in 1215, in which comprised of a list of human rights and civil liberties. It asserted that the King needed consent from his legislative body to impose taxes upon its citizens. Halliday (2011) notes that habeas corpus serves as a writ and a scrabble parchment that a judge ordered a jailer to bring forth a named prisoner to court to face said written charges. This very important document additionally established that trial and due process of law must occur previous to confiscating property or freedom from any free man who resided in England. Instead of King John stepping down from power he agreed to place…

    • 1857 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is apparent that all was not well in England in the years building up to the Magna Carta in 1215. The barons of the day, not royalty, but the upper crust of society, forced King John to sign the document because it greatly reduced the power he held as the King of England and allowed for the formation of a powerful parliament. In return, the barons took an oath of loyalty to King John under the agreement that all abide by it. The Magna Carta became the basis for English citizen's rights and it is evidence that the people of England faced many political, social, economic, and ethnic tensions with King John and his empire.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Powhatan Dbq

    • 2763 Words
    • 12 Pages

    1. Magna Carta [1215] (52): The Magna Carta was an agreement that insured protection of noble (feudal) liberties from usurpation by the King. The Magna Carta influenced the development of common law (legal precedent), as well as constitutional principles (as seen in the United States Constitution).…

    • 2763 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The English common law runs all the way back to Anglo-Saxon days in England, but it did not begin to take shape until late in the twelfth century during the reign of Henry II. It passed into North America with the coming of the first English settlers to the New World, and over the centuries was incorporated into the American system of laws by legislation and judicial decisions.” Two of the most popular documents that prove the influence of the English are the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights. “What is surprising, and counter to the usual portrayal that there is a strong and direct reliance of the U.S. Bill of Rights on the English heritage, is that only 9 out of the 26 rights in the U.S. Bill of Rights can be traced back to the Magna Carta! Similarly, 7 can be traced to the English Petition of Rights, and 6 to the English Bill of Rights.” Probably the most famous being the right of due process and trial by…

    • 651 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was a time full of prospering and adjusting for the benefits of society. Many laws and rules were justified to help and overall aid the people of the time. The…

    • 71 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Magna Carta was a document Issued and signed by Kind John of England in 1215. It was recognized particular natural rights. “The Magna Carta did not declare rights for all Englishmen” (Hall & Feldmeier, 2013).…

    • 1151 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Five documents were made that established self-government and individual liberty in different ways. To begin talking about the documents that changed the history of the world, lets begin with the Revolutions that happened before their creation. “The Glorious Revolution, American Revolution, and French Revolution all attempted to establish principles of government...and the..revolutions had enduring effects...on..expectations for self-government and individual liberty.” (“The Evo. of Dem. Ideals” 8) Revolutions in the world also caused the creation of five documents, three of which I will discuss, that were written following ideals that drove these revolutions. I believe that the Magna Carta, US Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen do extend the governments ideals because without them people wouldn’t know their rights and would never have questioned the government in the first place.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Magna Carta was written in 1215. It was the first document to challenge the authority of the king, subjecting him to the rule of the law and protecting nobles from feudal abuse. When Englishmen went to the colonies they were given charters that guaranteed them and their heirs would “have and enjoy all liberties and immunities of free and natural subjects.” The document clearly stated that no free man could be prosecuted by any means other than the law of the land. The Magna Carta’s fundamental rights and principles included due process of law and trial by jury. Taking a cue from the document more than five centuries later, American revolutionaries incorporated many of the Magna Carta's basic ideas into another important piece of parchment – the U.S. Constitution.…

    • 1552 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Magna Carta is the oldest influence on the Constitution. It was signed in 1215 by a monarch that could not control his power. It was the very first time a king gave up some power so the king also had to follow laws and was not granted privileges. In fact, the Magna Carta had 63 chapters focused solely on guaranteed rights. This…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Module 2 Milestones

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page

    How are the ideas of the Magna Carta evident in the founding documents of the US? manga carta set a precedent for the idea of a limited central governing body.…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice. In theory, separation of power divides powers between departments of American government such as the legislator, executive, and judicial branches. James Madison suspected the dangers of a powerful government and went to write “separation of powers” because “men are not angels,” Federalist 51 (1788) He knew the threat to liberty, we would face had there been a single person accumulate such a powerful place, even as a government, the power would get to those person’s ego.…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Magna Carta is an English legal document written in 1215 CE which had a huge influence on the developing legal…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays