Magna Carta's Influence On Society

The Magna Carta was an influential, historical document that impacted society in several ways. It was signed by the British King John. The King signed it, unaware of all rights he was giving up. The Magna Carta was basically 63 grievances of the noblemen in Britain. The Magna Carta was just as impactful now as it was then. There are innumerable ways the Magna Carta has shaped society today. The Magna Carta influenced modern society by allowing freedom of speech, being a precursor to human rights, and giving men the chance to a fair and just trial. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right, derived from the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was founded on the idea that all people are created equal. For example the first grievance in the Magna Carta is that the people of Britain “[...] shall have our rights undiminished and its liberties unimpaired” (Magna Carta). All people should have their freedom protected and unchanged by the government and other citizens. It would be unlawful for the government to alter one's freedom without his or her approval. The poem, “Democracy is Coming to the USA” also has a tone of freedom and rights. The poem alludes to previous events in American history when democracy and freedom was not given to all peoples. In one of the lines it states: “From the wars against disorder/ From the sirens night and day/ From the ashes of the gay [...]” (Democracy is coming to the USA). America did not always have democracy, and people fought strongly for it. The poem uses people who are Gay as an example, they faced many prejudices Shamsid-Deen 2 and discrimination, some still do today. The Magna Carta was a document that changed the way society of that time viewed democracy. It is still important to today because …show more content…
The King had complete control over all his subjects. This was known as a absolute monarchy. With the Magna Carta in place, kings had to follow what was now called a constitutional monarchy. The Magna Carta had specific details of how the king was to give his subjects these rights. The Magna Carta, in conjunction with the Habeas Corpus, gave each person more rights in the legal system. An example of a right gained for the British was the right to fair punishment, which entailed “For a trivial offence (offense) [...] punishment shall only be in proportion to the degree of his offence (offense)” (Magna Carta). It is inhumane to penalize somebody for a minimal charge. One should not face life in prison for stealing a piece of candy. “For you O democracy” is a metaphorical poem that compares democracy to a wife. The poem’s author says he will, “plant companionship as thick as trees” (For You O Democracy). Democracy unites people because it gives individuals freedom. The Magna Carta is a document declaring freedom from a government that has complete control over its society. The human rights that Americans have today would not exist if the Magna Carta was not in place.
The Habeas Corpus and Magna Carta both help people advocate for not only human rights, but legal rights. The Habeas Corpus mentions several times about having a fair and just trial. In the Magna Carta it is stated, “to no one we will delay or deny justice [...]” (Magna Carta). The Habeas Corpus and Magna Carta are impactful because the legal system is based