Magna Carta Signed Runnymede

Runnymede from old english runieg council island and mede meadow was the location for the sealing of the magna carta by king john on the fifteenth of june 1215 with the 1225 version becoming the definitive version.

Magna carta signed runnymede. On june 15 1215 john met the barons at runnymede on the thames and set his seal to the articles of the barons which after minor revision was formally issued as magna carta. Runnymede is a water meadow alongside the river thames in the english county of surrey and just over 20 miles 32 km west of central london. Monday 15 june 2015 marked 800 years since king john sealed magna carta at runnymede. Indeed the monument to the magna carta was funded and erected by the american bar association.

It is notable for its association with the sealing of magna carta and as a consequence is with its adjoining hillside the site of memorials. But what is this great charter. Great charter is a royal charter of rights agreed to by king john of england at runnymede near windsor on 15 june 1215. The magna carta is widely accepted as the first constitutional document that formed the basis of modern democracy.

Magna carta libertatum medieval latin for great charter of freedoms commonly called magna carta also magna charta. But should you visit the birthplace of modern democracy what exactly will you find. From the outset the opposition barons had been aware of the danger that once king john had left runnymede he would renege on the charter on the grounds that it constituted an illegitimate infringement of his authority. The eyes of the world will be on runnymede this week as the 800th anniversary of magna carta is celebrated.

The magna carta was it a document signed at runnymede in 1215 by king john pledging independence to the english barons or was it a piece of chewing gum on a bedspread in dorset.