Magna Carta Day: The Forgotten History of Magna Carta Day and What It Commemorates
On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast, Dan and Sam discuss Magna Carta Day. Magna Carta Day, celebrated every year on June 15th, is an important holiday to celebrate the origins of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. This historic document, drafted in the 13th century, inspired the Western conception of individual liberties and checks on government power.
A number of the rights codified in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights find their origins in the Magna Carta. The charter was drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury as a way to settle tensions between the King of England and some of his barons.
The Magna Carta is the foundation of the Western conception of individual liberties, particularly in the Anglosphere. It is also one of the most mythologized documents in history. Still, many today are unaware of its actual content and the historical context in which it was drafted.
While much of the historical context is complex, the main point is this: Under the rule of King John in the 13th century, several barons were unhappy with the nebulous nature of rule and administration. The Magna Carta was an attempt to codify the procedures by which the King ruled over his subjects, in particular the barons. The “Great Charter” was renewed by subsequent kings, though under parliamentary rule, much of its main provisions were slowly stripped away.
The dispute that led to the drafting of the Magna Carta revolved around how a king was supposed to rule. It was believed at the time that, while the king had unlimited powers, he should govern with the counsel of his barons using custom as his guide. The Magna Carta is an attempt to address what the rules are for when the king is not ruling in this fashion.
Listen to learn more about this historic document and the history of Magna Carta Day. You can also read Sam’s full article “Magna Carta Day: The Forgotten History of Magna Carta Day and What It Commemorates” in Ammo.com’s Resistance Library.
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