LESSON TWO: All the King’s Men

​GO TO THE ARCHIVES: Avoid the dust and centuries old musty smells typical of historians conducting primary source research. Conduct your own inquiries on the Great Charter at the United Kingdom’s online archives. Start here.

Magna Carta

Magna Carta is called the most important document in history. So important that people still call upon it 800 years later. But where did it come from and why did people die for it? Jump into the 13th century and decide for yourself why Magna Carta keeps coming back.

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STEAL THE SHOW: Watch Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves (1991). The movie takes place during King Richard’s absence while on the Crusades. Even then, Little Johnny caused trouble rebelling against the King’s administrators, in this case with help from the likes of the Sheriff of Nottingham, played admirably by Alan Rickman. No, a thief isn’t exactly the poster child for property rights, even if he is doing the whole steal from the rich to give to the poor thing. And no, Kevin Costner isn’t English. But if you stick it out to the end, Sean Connery makes an uncredited appearance as Richard the Lionheart. And having James Bond as your king is pretty awesome even if he isn’t English either (he’s Scottish). 

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GO COUNTRY: If Bryan Adam’s soundtrack makes you lactose intolerant due to its high cheese content, you can always opt for the animated version from Disney. Robin Hood (1973) has a suitably accented hero, but the music is all American bluegrass and early country. 

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BUST A RHYME: Yep, the encounter at Runnymede is available in a rap version from a collection called Horrible History. Though I’m not sure anyone wants to claim ownership rights for lines like “How about this, let’s barter... we’ll stay loyal if you agree to Magna Carta.” Why rap about the English times gone by? Because history nerds have spare time and YouTube accounts too. 

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GET SOME BALANCE: Create a personal balance sheet including your assets and liabilities. Dig deep and inventory all of your personal belongings. It’s a good practice for anyone engaging in basic financial planning and insurance agents recommend it anyway. Also, focusing on your assets allows you to appreciate all the stuff you own thanks to a bunch of whining English Barons. 

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HANG TEN: Think property rights are only nice for Barons? Hit the web and land on this video, part of which uses surfer’s rules of the road to explain the momentary owner- ship of the waves. See, property rights aren’t just for the rich. They also help perpetual beach bums finding the endless summer while living in their mom’s basement.