800 Years of Magna Carta

If one takes the time to read historical documents, it can be very interesting. The Magna Carta is one of those documents. So often, we take for granted the concepts outlined in this document. Some of the concepts are very basic: Consent to having one's property taken away; having one's court case held in a fixed place; no special taxes levied without consent.

The British Crown clearly had strayed away from some of this agreement by the time the 1700s rolled around. But without the Magna Carta, the American colonies would have had very little on which to base our own Declaration of Independence. As we approach the patriotic Fourth of July season, let us remember both our American and our English forefathers in the law, and be thankful to them for standing up against the Crown for their - and our - rights.