Back to our regularly scheduled program...touring

Hard to see, but this is L all wrapped up to stay warm.

Last Saturday was COLD, but none the less, our fearless leader, DA, decided it was time to take a trip to Runnymede to visit the site of the signing of the Magna Carta. Quick, raise your hand if you remember what the Magna Carta was----- ok, some of you listened in history class, but in short it was the English document that greatly influenced the contents of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. It was signed in the English countryside at Runnymede in 1215. It just so happens that that particular spot of countryside is just a few minutes drive from our house, so on a day that was -2 degrees we set out for Runnymede. I asked DA why we should go on this particular day and his reasoning was, "on a sunny day we'd want to go somewhere else." So that explains why we froze our little noses off visiting a meadow!!!!!!!!!!!!
The American Bar Association (ABA) has built and dedicated a memorial to the Magna Carta to honor it's place in world history and especially American history. There is also a legitimate acre of American soil next to it. It's a little confusing because the memorial built by the ABA is not the American soil part, the British decided to build a memorial to JFK in the same field and THAT is the American soil. Kinda mixes up the point of the 2 events. Marker says: This acre of English ground was given to the United States of America by the people of Britain in memory of JFK, President of US 1961-63 Killed by an assassins hand 22 November 1963. It goes on to quote a line from a JFK speech.
L is curious if a lady had a baby there, what passport would the child get?????There were a handful of other tourist out there that day, those dedicated souls. They were probably in England for 1 weekend and had to go rain or shine or snow, but not us, we have years to visit and chose that frigid day. Anyway, I'm glad we went. Had a chance to discuss a historical event with the kids that I KNOW they will hear about in school. Here are a couple of highlights of this exciting event. ha.
These are the 50 steps leading up to the JFK memorial - each representing a state in the USA.


The history part - according to Bridget (feel free to disagree).
Signing the Magna Carta (the Great Charter) was forced on the English King John by his barons in 1215. In my words, it was a document that put everyone in the land, even the king, under the laws of the land and made provisions that people would not be imprisoned or prosecuted except by the laws of the land. There were many clauses that addressed the many issues they had with the king at the time. I believe it also ended the feudal system. It is said here that the Magna Carta became the first constitutional document in the world.