Recently I had the opportunity to study abroad at Oxford University through my school, and in that time I had the rare opportunity to see Magna Carta in London. As some may or may not know, Magna Carta turned 800 this past month and to see it during its historic anniversary was absolutely astonishing. The document itself and the artifacts around it such as ancient ledgers and early drafts of the document were interesting and at times beautiful, but the most humbling piece of the exhibit was to see, hands on, the effect that Magna Carta had on world history for the past eight centuries. It has done everything from inspire revolutions from tyrannical kings to help shape a United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. One document, one message: freedom.
If you ever get the chance to see Magna Carta, take it, because its message still carries true today.
The history of Magna Carta can be seen here at the John Locke Foundation and NC History Project’s celebration of the 800th Anniversary.
