From Runnymede to Philadelphia: op-ed from Alabama Supreme Court justice

This is a guest opinion column.

When Thomas Jefferson picked up his quill in the summer of 1776, he wasn't just crafting a new vision for a nation; he was tapping into a reservoir of legal philosophy that stretched back over five centuries. The roots of American independence run deep, tracing directly back to the muddy fields of Runnymede, where English barons confronted a reluctant King John 811 years ago to secure the Magna Carta.

The Foundation of Liberty

Initially, the Magna Carta wasn't the sweeping manifesto of universal rights we recognize today. It functioned more like a tense peace treaty designed to check a king who believed he was above the law. The barons demanded an end to arbitrary taxation and unlawful imprisonment, insisting that even the monarch must bow to the rule of law. Although the Pope attempted to annul the document almost immediately, its core principles survived, eventually evolving into the bedrock of constitutional law.

By the time the American colonies reached a boiling point with King George III, the Great Charter had become the primary vocabulary of freedom. It provided the legal legitimacy Jefferson required to frame the American Revolution not as a reckless act of rebellion, but as a necessary remedy against tyranny.

A Legal Brief for Revolution

Jefferson realized that high-minded philosophy alone couldn't anchor a revolution. To succeed, he needed precedent. The colonists didn't view themselves as innovators seeking brand-new rights; they saw themselves as Englishmen defending inheritance rights that had been codified for centuries. The Magna Carta served as their title deed to these liberties.

Consider the famous cry, “No taxation without representation.” This wasn't a new concept invented in the colonies; it was a medieval principle established at Runnymede. When Jefferson accused King George of imposing taxes without consent, he was citing a direct violation of constitutional protections that dated back to 1215. The same applies to the administration of justice; the Great Charter explicitly forbade the crown from selling, denying, or delaying justice—a charge Jefferson leveled directly against the King’s interference with the colonial judiciary.

The Enduring Legacy

Jefferson’s masterstroke was transforming these long-standing grievances into a logical argument for independence. He positioned the King’s repeated abuses as a repudiation of the constitutional covenant that defined English kingship. When a ruler breaks the fundamental compact of the law, he ceases to be a legitimate leader and becomes a despot wielding arbitrary force.

The Magna Carta gave the American founders the moral authority to argue that they were merely claiming what was rightfully theirs. Centuries after a king first pressed his seal into wax, those old grievances fueled the birth of a new nation. The Magna Carta did more than just anticipate the Declaration of Independence—it made it essential, credible, and permanent.

Ultimately, the Great Charter’s most lasting contribution is the principle embedded in its very existence: no one is above the law, and whenever a ruler acts as if they are, the people possess the oldest right of all—the right to object.

Will Sellers is an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama. He is best reached at jws@willsellers.com.