What is Magna Carta?

[Music] this may look like a plain unassuming piece of parchment but it's actually one of the most famous documents in the world Magna Carta meaning the great Charter has inspired people across the centuries from Thomas Jefferson to Mahatma Gandhi but why was the charter origin created and what does it actually say let us take you back to Medieval England it's the year 1215 and the ruler is King John many people believe that King John was one of the worst kings in history he imprisoned his former wife he starved his opponents to death he allegedly murdered

his own nephew and pulled the Beards of the Irish Chiefs King John had imposed heavy taxes on from his Barons in order to pay for his expensive Foreign Wars if they refused to pay he punished them severely or seize their property the Barons demanded that King John obey the law when he refused they captured London and John was forced to negotiate the two sides met at runy in June 1215 the result of the negotiations was written down by the king's Clerks into the document we know as Magna carter although most of the Charter's Clauses dealt

with medieval rights and Customs Magna Carta has become a powerful symbol of Liberty around the world the most famous clause which is still part of the law today for the first time gave all free men the right to Justice and a fair trial no man shall be arrested or imprisoned except by the Judgment of their equals and by the law of the land to no one will we sell however this Clause was not as liberal as it sounds the charter only applied to free men the vast majority of people in 1215 were unfree peasants who

were ruled over by their landowners and although Magna carter was intended to create peace between King John and his rebellious Barons England was plunged into Civil War after the pope declared the charter invalid when King John died of dentry in 1216 99-year-old Henry III took to the throne to keep the peace Magna Carta was reissued several times during the 13th century until it was finally made part of English law Magna carter has lived on for 800 years and is echoed in the United States Declaration of Independence and the universal Declaration of human rights perhaps Magna

carta's most important Legacy is that everyone including our leaders must obey the law what started out as a document of specific complaints from a group of Barons has turned into an international symbol of Liberty without which we might not have the rights we value so much today