Original Magna Carta copy has arrived in New York City

[EC]

An original version of the Magna Carta from 1217 has arrived in New York at the start of a world tour to mark the 800th anniversary of its drafting.

Accompanied by the only surviving 1215 Kings Writ from Runnymede, it will go on display at the New York Historical Society tomorrow.

The document, on loan from Hereford Cathedral, was carried across the Atlantic aboard a British Airways passenger jet.  Images from the flight showed it resting on its very own first-class, lie-flat bed.

“VIPs regularly travel across the pond with us, but with a price tag of £24 million the Magna Carta and the King’s Writ are definitely one of the most precious pieces of cargo we’ve ever had the honour of carrying,” noted Captain Ian Aird. “The news that we had such an important piece of history on board certainly created a buzz in our First class cabin.”

The Magna Carta, considered to be the founding document for the democratic traditions exported by Britain to nations around the world, including the United States, will remain on public view at the Historical Society here until the end of the month.  Thereafter it will be ferried to stops in China, including Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta and Singapore.

The so-called “Magna Carta 800 Global Tour” has been put together by the GREAT campaign, an ongoing effort by the Government to promote Britain as a tourist and investment destination.

“The Magna Carta is a hugely important part of our history and stands as a beacon for our values today,” UK Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said. “The tour is a fantastic way of enabling people from America to Asia to see it first hand, and to reflect on all that it stands for.”

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/original-magna-carta-copy-has-arrived-in-new-york-city-10513397.html

Queens Flight crew as well. Pushing out ALL the stops here. 

Queens Flight or A380 crew are the only ones that wear hats as a regular part of their uniform.

[aligncare]

Gonna to take the day off to peruse this awe inspiring piece of British history tomorrow at New York's Historical Society. I'm very excited by this opportunity. I know how prone I am to embarrassing bouts of emotion these days, so I hope I can contain my tears of joy at viewing such a significant document. This is way cool.

[EC]

It is well worth seeing.

Just do us a favor and keep the Worm away from it, please!!!

[truth_seeker]

The Magna Carta was a stop along the way. There were elements that preceded it, and helped form its philosophic and legal basis.

Consider the Nordic (North Germanic) "Thing" for instance (townhall/legislature) as just one of them

And "Tanistry" from the Celts

And certainly by 1217 the mainland influences including the Catholic church, Roman/Latin legal concepts, etc.

[aligncare]

Rest assured. I'll bring a large quantity of dewormer with me, just in case. 

[aligncare]

It was truly a wonderful, emotional experience seeing this ancient document which became the basis for English Common Law and influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

Not only did the Magna Carta become a springboard for Jeffersons revolutionary Declaration of Independence, but the concepts of law as supreme (above even kings and legislative bodies) were drafted into the United States Constitution by James Monroe and many American principles, such as habeas corpus and no taxation without representation, drew their roots from English law of the 17th century that was based on the Magna Carta.

The crowd was pretty heavy and I didn't have much time to view but it was well worth the experience. I did manage to keep my emotions somewhat in check, though. But I wasn't alone; I did notice some misty eyes in the crowd besides my own.

A few days ago this wasn't even on my bucket list until I saw the article here at TBR. The original Magna Carta had come here to New York!

Now if only I could see the pope!

[EC]

 

It's a lot of history in a tiny bit of paper ....

[aligncare]

It's a lot of history in a tiny bit of paper ....

It was truly an amazing experience. Overhearing some of the comments and the superlatives from the crowd of onlookers, a wonderful shared delight it was. An unexpected opportunity to gaze a relic of history of Western culture. I've still got goosebumps.

But this must be just ho-hum to you. When I lived in California I remember touring ruins from the 1800s. Back here in New York I visited battlegrounds where Washington's men fought and died. But, you, you are witness to ruins so ancient they defy exact dating! Someday I must visit,

"This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England"