A History and Defence of Magna Charta

What it is

This is a political pamphlet written by Samuel Johnson and published in 1769. It opens with an introductory discourse on the early laws and government of England, including the idea that the early inhabitants of Britain chose their leaders in national meetings. The text is preserved as a readable edition on Wikisource.

Why it matters

Magna Carta, sealed in 1215, is one of the most cited documents in English legal history. Johnson wrote about it at a time when debates over liberty and Parliament were central in Britain and its American colonies. The pamphlet shows how a major writer of the period understood the history of English rights and used that history to argue his political case.

Look closer

• How does Johnson describe the earliest English communities, and what does that description suggest about the political values he admires?
• Why might a writer in 1769 choose to defend an document from the thirteenth century rather than argue for new rights?
• What might this pamphlet leave out, given that it was written by one author with clear political views?