nov 25, 1215 - Magna Carta

Description:

A civil war broke out because King john raised taxes and this lost him the support of many barons. In an effort to stop the fighting, a small group of barons wrote an agreement in 1215: Magna Carta. It was designed to limit the King's powers and force him to obey the law. It also protected the barons against unfair taxes and guaranteed all free men of England the right to fair trials. King John signed reluctantly, but he refused to obey the terms it had set out. These actions soon plunged the country into civil war, again.
Magna Carta was very important for the whole development of parliament. The Magna Carta is considered one of the first steps taken in England towards establishing parliamentary democracy.

[Barons]
Here's the story
Of a very old decree
Forced on King John as he made off
With the revenue
Of us barons
And the aristocracy
He took our land and for a lark
Held our sons hostage too

Magna Carta (Magna Carta?)
Told King John he's gotta be
He's gotta be subject to law
Agree tax with us too
Gave his seal (Gave my seal?)
Then withdrew his guarantee
Left to Henry Third
And Edward First to pass it through

And I would say 800 years
A birthday worth 800 cheers
Since 1215 Magna Carta's been
A foundation of our democracy

[Peasants]
By 1500
It reads as all men are free
Even peasants just like me
Can tell kings that it's true
For years it vanished
Until Edward Coke MP (That's me!)
Challenged Charles I
As his own powers grew
You'd think that Cromwell (Jolly Olly)
Would agree, but instead he said

[Oliver Cromwell]
Magna Carta? Magna Farta, more like
Not for me!

[Thomas Jefferson]
I'm Thomas Jefferson
And Edward Coke is the bees' knees
Our American Constitution
Incorporated his decrees

[All]
And I believe 800 years
Has proved from ancient pioneers
Best British invention of all
Apart, of course, from soccerball

Magna Carta (Super Charter)
Magna Carta (It's a part'a)
What you're taught at school
Magna Carta (Just for starter)
Magna Carta (Nothing smarter)
Kings, watch how you rule
[Peasants]
Eleanor Roosevelt extended
This letter to America

[Eleanor Roosevelt]
Here's a story
Of a very old decree
And now enshrined in UN
Human rights since World War II
It began as
Help for the aristocracy
Now it's for you and me
And everyone in the world too

[All]
And I would hope 800 years
Of freedom never disappears
All hail this simple ancient law
May it survive 800 more

Magna Carta (Super Charter)
Magna Carta (It's a part'a)
What you're taught at school
Magna Carta (Just for starter)
Magna Carta (Nothing smarter)
Magna Carta rules

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