Magna Carta Manuscripts and Myths

Today Magna Carta is one of the most celebrated documents in English history. But although it has since come to symbolise some of the fundamental principles of democracy and human rights, it was never intended to be a lasting declaration of legal principle. It was a practical attempt to resolve a political crisis. This book explores the roles of the protagonists involved in the creation of Magna Carta in 1215 and describes the political situation in England at the time – the wars with France, the king's exploitation of the feudal system, the barons' financial grievances, abuses in the administration of justice and the king's relationship with the Church. Illustrated throughout, and with a translation of the complete text of Magna Carta, the book explores the context in which Magna Carta came to be issued, in order to understand what it really meant to its creators and to those who have used and revered it since.