The Signing of the Magna Carta (1215)
The Magna Carta, meaning “Great Charter,” was issued by King John of England on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede, a meadow beside the River Thames. The charter emerged from a political crisis between the king and a group of rebellious English barons, but its significance eventually extended far beyond the dispute that produced it. Over the centuries, Magna Carta became associated with the principles that the ruler is subject to the law, that government has limits, and that certain rights cannot simply be taken away by royal authority. ...