The Magna Carta, an ancient English document concerning individual rights and liberties, was adopted by King John on June 15, 1215.
Drafted by Cardinal Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the Church of England at the time, the unpopular British monarch signed the charter to avoid civil war with his subjects, which proved ultimately ineffective.
Despite the relative failure of the document to subvert conflict in England at the time of its writing, it has influenced Western legal and political philosophy throughout the centuries.
Parliamentarians opposed to the reign of Charles I used the Magna Carta as partial justification for the king’s imprisonment and subsequent execution in 1649.
The charter also greatly influenced the American Revolution and U.S. Constitution. James Madison, known as the Father of the Constitution, cited Magna Carta principles in the drafting of the 5th Amendment, which guarantees due process of law. The Declaration of Independence also draws inspiration from the Magna Carta, specifically with reference to taxation without representation.
Contextually, the Great Charter enacted in 1215 fell short of its intended purpose and underwent a series of rewrites in the centuries after its inception. However, the legacy of the Magna Carta survives in Western civilization as a symbol of unwavering freedom and the inalienability of human rights.
Anthony Bringaze 