“The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in human history……It was written in the Magna Carta.”
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1941 Inaugural Address
Drawn up by a group of 13th century barons, presumably the ones confronting King John on the day of its signing, the Magna Carta Libertatum, or Great Charter of Freedoms, was meant to protect the rights of common people from the tyrannies of the monarchy. It addressed practical matters and grievances such as no taxation without representation, the right to legal counsel and trial by jury, and freedom of the church from direction of the government. The document was meant to demonstrate that even the highest of authorities and leaders are never above the law.
If you want to know more about this powerful document and the words within, you can watch this short video: