The Signing of the Magna Carta, 2nd Edition

by Debbie Levy

Can one document really change the world? In June, 1215 King John of England met with a group of nobles in a meadow on the banks of the Thames River. There, John affixed his royal seal to a document designed to bring about peace between the king and a group of rebellious nobles. This attempt failed miserably, and the two parties were soon at war again. Yet the ideas laid out in the document--which would later be called Magna Carta--lived on, and would become the foundation for many of the freedoms people enjoy in modern times. They include the right to a fair trial and the requirement that the punishment fit the crime. The signing of the Magna Carta is truly one of history's most pivotal moments.

136 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Debbie Levy is the author of more than thirty books for young people, including the New York Times bestselling I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark; A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools; This Promise of Change (with Jo Ann Boyce); The Year of Goodbyes; and Becoming RBG. Debbie is the recipient of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor, Sydney Taylor Award, and the National Jewish Book Award, among other honors. Before she started writing books for young people, she worked as a newspaper editor and a lawyer.

Reviews

[Achraf · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is called the Magna Carta… in respect of the great importance, and weightiness of the matter…” (Levy, 4). ‘Have you ever thought of the Magna Carta and how it was created?’ Well, if you have thought about this, the amusing story, “The Signing of The Magna Carta,” was well written by Debbie Levy. This story is mainly focusing on the Magna Carta and how it begun to become an important document in the England Constitution. The history book also focuses on events that happened while the effect was the document. First, the Magna Carta can be referred to, ‘The Great Charter’. After all, as tension begins towards war, King John’s followers and the baron’s followers were fighting for years. Some of the less guilty ones (people) thought that the king should agree to a list of specific actions and behaviors that he would follow in the future. This list was the Magna Carta. Moving To Facts, the Magna Carta had a life of its own. The list was crammed with details about the two issues that most concerned the barons, money, and property. The Magna Carta was about relationships between the king and the landholders (small group of barons that controlled small pieces of territory that they thought of as mini-kingdoms). Therefore, this story really focuses on the timeline of the Magna Carta and what has happened in those specific timelines. Next, is the reach of religion during the 12th century. One thing that almost all English people shared in common. Whether the people were nobles or commoners, rich or poor, country folk or burgesses-it was their church. It was their church except for some Jewish people, but in conclusion English people were Christians and their church was the Roman Catholic Church. Occasionally, there is a part of the Magna Carta surviving the 800 years to this day. Lastly, are the debts that the king had within the important things that happened. For instance, the death of a noble mostly granted the king the opportunity to take out more money from the noble’s heirs. (Heirs are a person who’s boss has died and he’s his surviving relative). Usually, a persons’ wealth was measured in the land the person owned, castles, livestock, crops, and money. But in the end, the Magna Carta was almost dead when it was made. “The death of King John could’ve been easily the death of the Magna Carta.” (Levy, 108). As one can see, the king was important and this marvelous book led me to think about three questions.


This interesting and marvelous story granted the lovely readers and I to think about three questions about King John. First, ‘what was the person’s achievement? What were the achievements? Well, to answer this question, we should think about King John. He was a great ruler that led England in a modern way. For instance, if the parent of a child died, he would take control of them (Might be strict with them). But this was before the barons were angry with the king. This was the main achievement for King John; he took his orders the proper way. Therefore, King John had a main achievement that he followed until the making of the Magna Carta. Next, I thought about, ‘what were the causes and effects of the conflict?’ To respond to this question, the causes were the fighting between the barons and the king and the tension that was built within the reign of King John. Then, comes the effect that was the Magna Carta. In addition, (I think) there were some fights here and there, but other than that, the Magna Carta was the response the barons and the people who wanted the king to do the right thing. These kinds of questions really come up to the reader as he/she is reading. Lastly, are the kings of England of 1066- 1216, they are:
The Normans: {William I, the Conqueror} Reign: 1066-1087, {William II, can be named William Rufus} Reign: 1087-1100, {Henry I} Reign: 1100-1135, {Stephen} Reign: 1135-1154. After King Stephen the order switched to:
The Angevins: {Henry II} Reign: 1154-1189, {Richard I}, also known as ‘The Lion Heart” Reign: 1189-1199, {King John} Reign: 1199-1216. So, to end these three questions, the last question I thought about was, ‘How does my country, Morocco, compare to England?’ Well, there are no specific comparisons. The readers can just say that England is a more powerful country than Our Morocco. A similarity would be that we were both Medieval. ‘Medieval England and Medieval Morocco.’ “No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way…” (The Magna Carta, 1215). As one can see, this marvelous history book led me thinking about three questions that I was able to answer.


While I was reading, this story was a really nice history book that would interest anybody. First, this story would interest people who adore Social Studies, especially with Mr. Holt. ‘The Signing of the Magna Carta,’ was an amazing book that talks about the events that happened during the 1000-1215’s, so if you would like to look back at what happened during that time, this book would be for you. Debbie Levy shows how the Magna Carta is one of the most famous documents in the world. Therefore, I would highly recommend this to people who don’t know much about the Magna Carta. Lastly, I would say that this book is for students in 5th, 6th, and maybe 7th graders who need improvement with their comprehension. I don’t recommend this book to people who hate history, considering it was just be a waste of time. As one can see, this book would be for people who like Social Studies and would be for students that would like to know the Magna Carta.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this one highly enough if you want an overview of what led to the signing of the Charter, a great outline of what the Charter contained and a wrap up of what happened after the Charter was signed. This is concise and well written and easy to grasp all of the history surrounding that moment at Runnymede. A great addition to any library of British and American history. A couple of things that really struck me. FIrst of all, read about "forests" in the time of the early kings of England and see if this doesn't remind you a bit of the current approach to national forest lands in the US...

"Although the kings of England granted and sold great tracts of the countryside, they considered some land too wonderful to give away. This land was known as the royal forest. The forest included not only wooded areas - what people normally think of as 'forest' - but also all kinds of other lands, some of which were inhabited. Strict laws applied to the vast lands that the king labeled as forest. The laws prohibited anyone other than the king (and his guests) from hunting animals there, cutting wood, allowing cattle to eat the grass, or otherwise using forest resources. Not even the people who lived in the forest could use its resources without royal permission. This was rather inconvenient for farmers who lived there. If the king wanted to add a piece of land to the forest, he simply had to 'afforest' it, or declare that it was forest. Penalties for violations of the forest law were severe."

The other quote that made me smile was one of the opening lines of the Coronation Charter written up by King Henry I in 1100. "I impose a strict peace upon my whole kingdom and command that it be maintained henceforth." (If you know anything about Henry I and his reign and family, you understand that this is really amusing.)

Another thing that struck me is that in the years leading up to the Magna Carta, the idea of of a nation was only beginning to take root. People thought in terms of loyalty to a person rather than allegiance to a nation. I am so grateful for the path that the barons who wrote the Magna Carta and so many others took that led us to be nations and not followers of any one man/person.

[Chewie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you know, June 15, 2015 will mark 800th year anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta. This book talks about the events leading up to it.