Debate: The Magna Carta

Proposition: The Magna Carta was "illegal and unust...a shameful and demeaning agreement."

Medieval Worlds pp. 324-34 and 416-23 presents the basic historical background for this debate.

Background presentations:

Team 1: Explain who "the barons" were, and the history of their perpetually conflict with kings up to, and after, the time of John.

Team 2: Explain what Parliament was, who was in it in the thirteenth century, and what it was supposed to do.

Debate:

Team 1: argue for the Proposition

Team 2: argue against the Proposition

Primary source evidence

The text of the Magna Carta is all over the web. A really nice version, with a glossary of terms, can be found here.

The text of the Magna Carta, as well as a photograph of one of the original copies now housed in the British Library, can be found here (see "English translation" for the text). This site also has useful commentary.

One of the main historians of the reign of King John, Roger of Wendover, left a brief account of Runnymede 1215, which is reproduced here.

Pope Innocent III declares the Magna Carta null and void. (note: you must provide the class username and password for this).

Roger of Wendover, Matthew Paris, and Ralph of Coggeshall are the three main contemporary historians of John's reign. I will try to put some selections from their histories up on the web soon.

Other resources

Various online resources for the Magna Carta include:

http://www.libertystory.net/LSUNFORGETWARTAXESMAGNACARTA.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/monarchs_leaders/magna_01.shtml

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/sc/sc.nsf/pages/bryson_180904

Timeline of John's reign, including selection from Roger of Wendover:

http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/visit/magnacarta.cfm