COMMENTARY: It’s not often I get to utilize my minor in medieval and early modern understanding, but today being the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta I’m excited to produce some thoughts on that old document and relate them to discussions we have on a daily basis about the nature of progress.
Courtesy photo
Lucas Herndon
Largely accepted as the precursor to modern democratic theory, Magna Carta (which in Latin means “The Great Charter”) was originally agreed upon this day, June 15, in 1215 by King John of England and a rebellious group of barons who felt their rights and liberties as men and subjects were not being respected or upheld under John’s administration.
While much of Magna Carta is mostly outdated in the face of newer documents, what is worth remembering about this day is that it was the beginning of an idea. Magna Carta, like the Constitution of the United States, was and is a document that has been struggled over, revised, and ultimately its articles repealed or amended to reflect wholly new ideas unimagined by its original drafters.
What started as a legal settlement between a divinely appointed king and his feudal subject barons has in popular history become one of the cornerstone pieces of the democratic process.
Like the original writing of the Constitution only guaranteeing the rights of landowning freemen, Magna Carta only addresses the rights of barons and the responsibility of the king to them. The popular myth that it espoused rights for the common man was a political maneuver by those in the 18th century who were seeking to further obtain representation in the political arena of Great Britain at the time.
Through those influences, though, the Founding Fathers laid the groundwork for our own Constitution, which has served us well for almost 250 years.
As we look at the long history of Magna Carta today and its influence on our own political philosophies, what really stands out in these types of documents, the Constitution most especially, is that they are living documents with core ideas at their center and evolving interpretations throughout their history.
Magna Carta was revised and resigned again and again — starting one year after its original signing in 1216, and again in 1217, and again in 1225, and then once more in 1297. It was reissued by each monarch who took the throne until it was mostly rendered obsolete through revision and the greater development of parliament, though there are still roughly three provisions of the original document which stand today in the United Kingdom.
The political circus of modern times is not a new concept and partisanship is not a symptom of modernity. As times change, as technology changes, as we progress and see more and more through the kaleidoscope of history, the concept of standing solely on tradition looks more and more silly. Those who seek to hold on to current or outdated laws or interpretations of laws fail to see the long-term arc of historical progress.
Popular myths about federal overreach or violations of the Constitution often disregard the portion of the document that allow for change to occur. Progress is the result of forward-thinking leaders who see that the status quo is not a perfect fit for tomorrow and that change is inevitable and necessary to grow and adapt as a society.
Lucas Herndon is student of history and activist for progress. He’s a life long resident of the Mesilla Valley and has worked to protect its open spaces, promote a sustainable business environment, and promote sustainable energy practices. He’s a father and hopes to leave behind a legacy of progress for his daughter and her generation.