Magna Carta Facts

The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in history. It was a document that guaranteed people with certain rights, and bound the king o certain laws. The Magna Carta was signed in June 1215 between the barons of medieval England and King John. Magna Carta is a Latin word and means “Great Charter”. The original Magna Carta had 63 clauses. A most of the text was either cut or rewritten for the 1225 version. Today, only three of the original 63 clauses remain on the statute books. There are some very good reasons the other 60 clauses have been dropped. Many are very specific to the middle Ages. In 1215, the Magna Carta was translated into French, which was the world language of the ruling classes. In modern English translation, it has 4,922 words and was not popular till 300 years later. In its original version, Magna Carta lasted only three months before King John violated its terms. In 1225, a new version was issued by Henry III, which became the definitive version. The original Magna Carta was written on parchment made from dried sheepskin.

The Magna Carta was signed in June 1215 between the barons of medieval England and King John. It was first signed by royal seal at Runnymede near Windsor Castle.

Less than three months after it had been agreed violence broke out and war was erupted. The King got ill and passed away on the 18th October leaving his nine year old son in charge. Henry III reissued the document in 1216 and again after the war 1217. It formed part of the peace treaty. Henry reissued it again in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes; his son, Edward I repeated the exercise in 1297, with conforming it as part of England’s statute law. The charter became part of English Political life and was renewed by each monarch in turn. The original 1215 charter still remained powerful even though most of the text was repealed in the 19th-20th