tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14910575.post-42644821807841088232008-03-13T22:51:00.004-04:002008-03-13T23:19:01.909-04:00Remember the Magna Carta from school? If not, don't feel too bad about it because neither do 45% of UK residents according to the poll featured in <a href="http://www.bl.uk/news/2008/pressrelease20080313.html">today's British Library Press Release</a>.<br /><br />In a nutshell, the Magna Carta is an English legal document from 1215 that is viewed as one of the most important in the history of democracy. It played an invaluable role in the creation of the <a href="http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=2&amp;page=transcript">Declaration of Independence</a> and the <a href="http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=13&amp;page=transcript">Bill of Rights</a>. One of 4 copies from 1297 has been on display at the National Archives in Washington, DC for the past 20 years. All thanks to the generosity of <a href="http://www.perotsystems.com/about/Ross_Perot.htm">H. Ross Perot</a>. Then...he put it up for <a href="http://outofthejungle.blogspot.com/2007/09/magna-carta.html">sale</a>.<br /><br />Fear not, it came back on display yesterday! That's thanks to the generosity of its new owner, <a href="http://www.cfr.org/bios/10720/david_m_rubenstein.html">David M. Rubenstein</a>. Phew!<br /><br />If you're not in the DC area, you're not out of luck. You can still look at the copy at the <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/images/magna_carta.jpg">National Archives online here</a> or at the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/09/24/nyregion/20070924_MAGNA_GRAPHIC.html"><em>New York Times</em>' site here</a>. The British Library also has some fun ways to view the <em>original</em> online. You can use the <a href="http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/shockwave/magna_carta_broadband.htm">Library's Shockwave viewer</a>, or a more <a href="http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/magna_main.html">simple online version here</a>. Additionally, you can check out the <a href="http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/translation/mc_trans.html">translation here</a>.<br /><br />For more on the Magna Carta, check out "<a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/legacy.html">Magna Carta and Its American Legacy</a>" at the National Archives site and "<a href="http://www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/basics/basics.html">The Basics</a>" on the British Library site.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/14910575-4264482180784108823?l=outofthejungle.blogspot.com'/></div>Abbie Mulvihillnoreply@blogger.com6