![King John reluctantly signing the Magna Carta at Runnymede, June 15, 1215. Painting by Arthur C. Michael [before 1945]. Submitted photo](/sites/dublincitizen.com/files/7467909280_Ar00202007.jpg)
Certainly those who created our American Constitution and Bill of Rights understood our need for freedom and rights under law. Some of the ideas in those documents were not created for the first time by our founding fathers, but had been established in England over 500 years before. At that time, King John’s cruelty and greed had united the nobles, church leaders and townspeople against him. He demanded too much in taxes after waging a disastrous war in France. This lead to the nobles forcing him to meet on June 15, 1215 along the south bank of the Thames River in a meadow called Runnymede. John tried to avoid giving in to the demands of the nobles, but almost all his followers deserted him. Since King John couldn’t read or write, he was forced to affix his seal to a document under threat of civil war. He agreed to abide by a document called the Magna Carta which means “Great Charter” in latin. By affixing his seal, it became the law of the land. In it, he agreed the king does not have absolute power and must obey the laws just like everyone else.
The Magna Carta inspired the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and documents in free nations around the world. It also laid the groundwork for due process and human rights. It limited arbitrary taxation by requiring approval by representatives of the people.
The Magna Carta also provided certain guarantees not just for lords and nobles but for the people as a whole. Although much of it deals with feudal rights and duties, it also includes provisions that protect the rights of the church, merchants, and townspeople.
The document offered protection against unlawful arrest and imprisonment. No person could be seized, imprisoned, or stripped of rights without lawful judgment and proof. It stated that individuals have the right to a fair trial with judgment by their peers. People could not be punished for crimes unless they were lawfully convicted. The Magna Carta also guaranteed the rights of women and children who inherited property. Widows who owned property could not be forced to remarry against their will, a key early step in civil rights. Finally, the Magna Carta gave barons the right to declare war on the king if he did not follow the charter’s provisions.
When we celebrate our American traditions and freedoms, we are also celebrating those ideas created in England over 800 years ago.