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Anlong time ago, and still in some places today, there was this one guynwho could do anything he wanted—take people’s stuff, take people’snhomes and land, kick people out of the realm, even kill people. Therenwere really no limits to that one guy’s power.
Anlong time ago, and still in some places today, there was this one guynwho could do anything he wanted—take people’s stuff, take people’snhomes and land, kick people out of the realm, even kill people. Therenwere really no limits to that one guy’s power.n
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nThatnguy might be called a czar or an emperor or a king. He might happennto be a good guy, a kind man, someone who doesn’t go around hurtingnpeople without good reason—but, on the other hand, he might be anbad guy, a cruel man, someone who destroys people’s lives just becausenhe lost his temper.
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nInnEngland, the guy with all this ultimate power was the king. Therenwere no laws that limited the king’s power—and if he didn’t like anlaw, he could just shrug and change it. But on this date in 1215,nthis changed.
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That’snwhen English barons forced on King John a written document we nowncall the Magna Carta (“Great Charter”). This document stated thatnthe king couldn’t punish “freemen” except through the law of thenland. This is an earlier version of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S.nConstitution, which states that no person shall be deprived of life,nliberty, or property without due process of law. n
That’snwhen English barons forced on King John a written document we nowncall the Magna Carta (“Great Charter”). This document stated thatnthe king couldn’t punish “freemen” except through the law of thenland. This is an earlier version of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S.nConstitution, which states that no person shall be deprived of life,nliberty, or property without due process of law. nn
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nAfternthe Magna Carta, English kings could no longer wave their pinkienfingers and order someone banished or executed. Kings could no longernbe completely arbitrary about grabbing desirable women and horses andnestates. Basically, the Magna Carta meant that the king (or queen)nhad to follow the law, too.
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InnEngland (in Egham, Surrey), Magna Carta Day is celebrated with musicnand amusement rides and clowns and other festivities. n
InnEngland (in Egham, Surrey), Magna Carta Day is celebrated with musicnand amusement rides and clowns and other festivities. nn
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nIfnthe king had ultimate power…
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nYounmay be wondering how the barons “forced” King John to accept thenMagna Carta, if the king had so much power. Well, kings and emperorsnand other absolute rulers have always had one weakness—which isnthat their people might and often did rise up in rebellion againstnthem, throw them out of power, kill them, and put someone else on thenthrone. It seemed as if this is what would happen in that long-agontime in England: for years the barons under King John’s unpopularnrule conspired to rebel against him. But there was no obvious personnto take the throne if their rebellion succeeded. Nobody could agreenabout who would be a good alternative to King John. Eventually thenbarons decided to rise up but then force the king to give them rightsnand protections. If King John hadn’t accepted the Magna Carta, henwould have been deposed and quite likely killed.
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nSonhe gave in, and democracy got a strong push in the right direction—ornshould I say the “rights” direction?
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nAlsonon this date:
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nSculptor Malvina Hoffman’s birthday
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nValdemar’s Day in Denmark
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