Existing comment:
1215
Magna Carta
England, 1542
In 1215, rebellious noblemen forced King John of England to approve the Magna Carta (Great Charter). Although commoners gained little, the document guaranteed feudal rights to the aristocracy -- a small but important move toward equality. Notably, one clause says that "no freeman shall be ... imprisoned or exiled ... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land." That was a crucial limitation on the king's power. This is a 16th-century English translation from Latin, the language of the original Magna Carta. |