How does a document of the importance of the Magna Charta

[Skidmore]

end up being the property of Ross Perot? Did the Brits sell it off with the London Bridge?

[SaveElmer]

1. Link?

There is more than one copy I believe

[Skidmore]

5. I was responding to a comment made by Brian Lamb

on Washington Journal about some exhibition at the National Constitution Ctr.(?) where Ross Perot's copy of the Magna Charta is being displayed.

[ThomWV]

2. I Think There Are 4 Copies

And Ross bought one of them at auction back in the late 80's or maybe early 90's.

You know, the Magna Carta is an interesting document. For those who have never read it the thing is the forefather of many a constitution. It is interesting in this regard though; most constitution like documents define the mechanisms of a Government's operation, as dose ours. Many of them then go on to list rights and privileges afforded to persons or groups. The Magna Carta is different in that it is more a list of what the King can not do rather than a list of what the people can do. Just thought you or others might like to know.

[pnorman]

3. I recall reading through it some years back.

My overall feeling was that it wasn't much of an affirmation of rights for anyone below baronial status. But I'll go through it again. Here's a convenient copy: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/magnacarta.html

pnorman

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. That's a fairly accurate summary

Most of it is about fairly specific grievances the barons had, due to things King John (or maybe his predecessors) had done. Luckily, a few clauses were universal (at least, for all "free men"), and it also established a principle that England was not, as it had been since William the Conqueror, purely under the arbitrary rule of the king. Civil war at various levels frequently happened over the next few centuries, but nearly always it ended up with the king losing a little more power.

Almost immediately after the Magna Carta, most of the barons tried to give the Enlgish throne to Prince Louis of France anyway.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. There are 4, but Perot's isn't an original

His dates from 1297.

The 4 original 1215 copies are in Salisbury Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral (some sites say Lincoln Castle), and 2 in the British Museum. http://www.localauthoritypublishing.co.uk/councils/runnymede/magna.html

[WildClarySage]

4. The same way Michael Jackson bought the elephant man's bones

anything is possible with enough money.

Wasn't that *'s message last night?