2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the Great Charter imposed on King John by his barons in the thirteenth century to ensure he upheld traditional customs of the nobility. Though it began as a safeguard of the aristocracy, over the past 800 years, the Magna Carta has become a cornerstone of democratic ideals for all. After centuries of obscurity, the Magna Carta was rediscovered in the seventeenth century, and has informed numerous documents upholding human rights, including the American Declaration of Independence, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For Canadians, it has informed key documents from the Royal Proclamation of 1763 that shaped the then-British Colonies and their relations with First Nations, to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This book complements the 2015 Magna Carta Canada exhibition of the Durham Cathedral Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest.
Record details
ISBN:9781459731127 (softcover) :
Physical Description:print 128 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Publisher:Toronto : Dundurn, 2015.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:
part1, The history of kings, barons and the commons -- Early perceptions of democracy -- Life in thirteenth century England -- The making of King John -- part 2, Magna carta and the Charter of the forest -- The reign of king John and the coming of Magna carta -- The key principles of Magna carta -- The repudiation of Magna carta and the death of King John -- The Charter of the forest : protection of the commons -- The provisions of Oxford and the development of parliament -- part 3, The decline and revival of Magna carta -- The spread of Magna carta's ideals from barons to commoners -- The decline of Magna carta -- Sir Edward Coke and the rebirth of Magna carta -- The petition of right in 1628 -- The English civil wars and interregnum -- The bill of rights and the emergence of constitutional monarchy -- part 4, Magna carta abroad -- Canada's first constitutional document : the Royal proclamation of 1763 -- The American revolution -- The French revolution -- Magna carta and Canada's confederation in 1867 -- part 5, Magna carta today -- The global impact of Magna carta and the Charter of the forest -- Surviving copies of Magna carta -- Magna carta in modern Canada.
Book
