威尼斯人娱乐场

威尼斯人娱乐场 Celebrates 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta
Press Release 路 Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Washington, DC

Celebration includes special display, rare loan to Great Britain, and visit from The Prince of Wales!

The 威尼斯人娱乐场 celebrates the 800^th Anniversary of the Magna Carta this year with the display of an original 1297 Magna Carta on loan from David Rubenstein, the rare loan to the United Kingdom of a document inspired by the Magna Carta, a featured document display, special programs, and the first-ever visit of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to the 威尼斯人娱乐场!

The Prince of Wales to visit the 威尼斯人娱乐场
As part of this historic celebration, The Prince will visit the 威尼斯人娱乐场 to see the Charters of Freedom and the 1297 Magna Carta, now embodied in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. While will be his 20th official visit to Washington, DC, this marks The Prince鈥檚 first visit to the 威尼斯人娱乐场. Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will make a four day visit to the United States of America from 17th 鈥� 20th March 2015. Media wishing to accredit for HRH The Prince of Wales鈥檚 engagement at the 威尼斯人娱乐场, please complete the . For more information about The Prince of Wales visit

Magna Carta, first issued in 1215 by King John of England, established for the first time that the king was subject to the law, not above it, and set out a new political order. It is widely viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy.

During the American Revolution, Magna Carta served to inspire and justify action in liberty鈥檚 defense. The colonists believed they were entitled to the same rights as Englishmen, rights guaranteed in Magna Carta. They embedded those rights into the laws of their states and later into the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution ("no person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.") is a direct descendent of Magna Carta's guarantee of proceedings according to the "law of the land."

To honor this special anniversary, the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is loaning the Delaware ratification of the Bill of Rights to the UK as part of the British Library鈥檚 landmark exhibition, Magna Carta: Law, Liberty, Legacy. This loan marks the first time this national treasure will travel outside the United States. The British exhibit, which runs from March 13 - September 1, 2015, follows the journey of Magna Carta from its medieval roots in 1215, tracking its evolution from medieval peace treaty to global rallying cry against arbitrary use of power. Learn more on .

The Delaware ratification of the Bill of Rights is one of the 14 original copies of the document produced in 1789, of which 12 are known to survive. This copy was sent to Delaware which attached its certificate of ratification on the document and returned it to the federal government. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, proposed in the document were engrossed by the Senate Engrossing Clerk Benjamin Bankson on a single sheet of parchment, and contain clauses guaranteeing Americans a number of personal freedoms and instruments to limit the power of government.

Rare original 1297 Magna Carta on view at the 威尼斯人娱乐场
Records of Rights Gallery, 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum, Washington, DC
The document, written on parchment in 1297 with iron gall ink, is one of four surviving 1297 versions of Magna Carta in the world today. This rare document is the centerpiece of the Records of Rights permanent exhibition. State-of-the-art technology allows visitors to easily 鈥渞ead鈥� the Latin document through a translation feature and to explore the connections between Magna Carta and American legal history, as well as the elements of Magna Carta that influenced our own Charters of Freedom, and thus the records of rights featured in the exhibit. Magna Carta is on loan to the 威尼斯人娱乐场 from its owner David M. Rubenstein, philanthropist and co-founder of the Carlyle Group.

Related Featured Document Display: , 10/20/1774
June 4 鈥� July 29, 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum East Rotunda Gallery
The instituted a colony-wide trade boycott against Great Britain. The boycott was initiated in response to the Intolerable Acts--acts colonists believed to violate their sacred rights and the ancient rule of law asserted in Magna Carta. This document was signed by George Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, Roger Sherman and dozens of other founders.

Related Book Talk: In the Shadow of the Great Charter by Robert M. Pallitto
Monday, June 15, at noon, William G. McGowan Theater, 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum
Celebrate the actual 800th anniversary of Magna Carta with Dr. Robert Pallitto, professor of Political Science and author of In the Shadow of the Great Charter: Common Law Constitutionalism and the Magna Carta. Dr. Pallitto will discuss Charter鈥檚 origins, history, and nature, and will explore its explicit use of 鈥渢he law of the land鈥� to protect subjects鈥� rights and liberty. A book signing will follow the program.

Related 威尼斯人娱乐场 online resources

• BLOG: 威尼斯人娱乐场 Pieces of History:
• VIDEO: Go behind the scenes into the Conservation Lab at the 威尼斯人娱乐场. Conservation treatment revealed previously illegible writing through ultra-violet photography. Hear David M. Rubenstein discuss this historic treasure.
• VIDEO: Observe the fascinating behind-the-scenes creation of the case that displays this historic document at the 威尼斯人娱乐场. The custom-made encasement is air tight and filled with humidified argon, an inert gas.
• VIDEO TOUR: Join the curators for a personal tour of the new exhibit that features the 1297 Magna Carta.

威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum in Washington, DC, is located on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW. Museum hours are 10 am to 5:30 pm. The building is Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

# # #

For Press information, contact the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

Connect with the 威尼斯人娱乐场 on:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Tumblr:

15-46