In 1215, a group of powerful barons had enough of their king's abuses and forced him to agree that not even a monarch was above the law.
King John of England was known for his heavy taxes, his military failures abroad, and his arbitrary rule. He pushed his nobles too far.
Fed up, the barons rebelled, captured London, and brought the king to the negotiating table.
On June 15, 1215, in a meadow called Runnymede, King John was compelled to put his royal seal on a document that would change the world: the Magna Carta, or "Great Charter."
This document wasn't signed with a pen, but sealed with the king's wax seal, a common practice for validating official papers at the time.
At its core, the Magna Carta established the principle that everyone, including the king, was subject to the law. It guaranteed certain rights for free men, such as the right to a fair trial and protection from illegal imprisonment.
One of the most famous clauses declared, "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions... except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land."
The principles laid out in the Magna Carta nearly 800 years ago were revolutionary. They limited the power of the government and affirmed the rights of the individual.
Its influence can be seen directly in our own founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. It is a cornerstone of liberty in the Western world.