Great Charter Turns 800
February 3, 2015
Today, the four original remaining copies of Magna Carta (Great Charter), which date to 1215, have been put on display at London’s British Library. The library’s exhibition celebrates the 800th anniversary of the document. It is not known how many copies of the charter were originally made, but the four remaining ones are being shown together for the first time. Usually, one copy of the charter is held at Salisbury Cathedral, one at Lincoln Cathedral, and two at the British Library. The library drew names entered by hopeful attendees and issued 1,215 tickets for the event.
Magna Carta was a peace treaty between English barons and clergy and King John (1166?-1216), a dictatorial leader who is remembered as one of England’s worst kings. To end the revolt of the barons against his reign, John met with them in a meadow, Runnymede, where they forced the king to sign the charter limiting his powers. Few of the provisions in the document remain in effect in modern times, but Magna Carta is still seen as the foundation of British law and as having been highly influential on the Constitution of the United States.
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