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The Magna Carta (meaning "Great Charter" in Latin) was a landmark document in English history, as well as in the history of democracy. In 1215, English nobles banded together to force a reluctant King John I of England to sign the Magna Carta, a tacit recognition both of King John's waning political power and of the existence of an incipient oligarchy. As English society continued to grow and develop, the Magna Carta was repeatedly revised, guaranteeing greater rights to greater numbers of people, thus setting the stage for British Constitutional monarchy.

The Magna Carta guaranteed English political liberties and contained clauses providing for a church free from domination by the monarchy, reforming law and justice, and controlling the behavior of royal officials. It was signed in Runnymede, a meadow by the Thames River.

King John's barons were resentful of the king's high taxes and well aware of his waning power. The barons were encouraged by the archbishop of Canterbury, S. Langton, to demand a grant guaranteeing their rights.

The charter was reissued with alterations in 1216, 1217, and 1225. Although the Magna Carta reflects the feudal order rather than democracy, the document is traditionally regarded as the foundation of British constitutionalism.

Many later attempts to craft constitutional forms of government, including the United States Constitution, trace their lineage back to this source document.

A modern English translation of the Magna Carta, as well as a more complete elaboration of its history and consequences, can be found at:

http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/magnacarta/magtrans.html

See also: dictatorship, monarchy, democracy, crony capitalism, theocracy

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