RobArt Penguin

Daily writing prompt

What historical event fascinates you the most?

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My father was well read. He taught me history and gave me a world view, an eye for the big picture. One of the things that interests me is how people organize themselves to get along. Right now, the “nation state” is the main way people organize themselves across the globe. Most places allow the people have a say on how the governments are run. The Magna Carta is one of the those documents that many point to as significant towards this development. I grew up with the idea that there was one Magna Carta which led to the Bill of Rights which led to the U.S. Constitution (sort of) and other government forming documents. I developed this idea that the process was the result of a natural evolution towards individual rights, something that resulted from a general enlightenment in human culture. Of course, the truth is less grandiose. The Magna Carta wasn’t one event or one document. Many were drawn up; most failed. The spirit of the movement wasn’t giving people more rights, out of some divine enlightenment. It was a bunch of Lords around the King who wanted their piece of the pie. It was still a grand moment in history, the notion that someone besides the king had rights and could own assets. Although the initial motive may have been self-serving, it led to a widening concept that all people have rights independent of the leader. It was an important step and we’re still working on it.