This year marks the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, and events are being held across the world to celebrate and commemorate this manuscript which helped shape our common ideals of freedom, liberty, and the rule of law. As part of this global celebration, the Minnesota Judicial Branch has partnered with a broad coalition of legal and civic organizations to bring a special exhibit titled “Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy” to Minnesota. The exhibit, which was developed by the American Bar Association and the Law Library of Congress, shares images of objects from Library of Congress collections that illustrate Magna Carta’s influence throughout the centuries and explain the document’s long history.
Constitution Day Event
On Thursday, September 17 – Constitution Day – the Minnesota Judicial Branch and its partner organizations (full list below) are hosting a public event at the Minnesota History Center to showcase this traveling exhibit, which will be displayed alongside several important artifacts related to Minnesota’s Constitution from the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. The reception will include a short program, where Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea will be joined by Governor Mark Dayton and David Mao, Deputy Librarian of Congress. Details about the event are listed below.
“Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy”
A Constitution Day celebration of Magna Carta’s impact in the U.S. and Minnesota
Thursday, September 17, 2015
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Minnesota History Center
345 West Kellogg Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55102
A special program featuring remarks by Gov. Mark Dayton, Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, and Deputy Librarian of Congress David Mao begins at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the event have sold out. More than 250 Minnesotans have registered to attend the free event, which is open to the media.
Exhibit hosted by the Minnesota State Law Library
Following the September 17 event, the "Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy" exhibit will be hosted by the
Minnesota State Law Library from September 18 - October 2. The exhibit is free and open to the public during normal library business hours, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Constitution Week
Constitution Day is September 17, and educational institutions that receive federal funding are required to teach about the Constitution or conduct Constitution-related programs each year on this date. This year, the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society, Learning Law and Democracy, and the Minnesota Historical Society, in partnership with the Minnesota Judicial Branch, have created “Constitution Week” resources and activities teachers and students can use to learn about the United States and Minnesota constitutions during the week of September 14-18. The resources are aimed at helping students understand the importance of the rule of law and their constitutional rights, with an emphasis on the role the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 had in shaping those rights.
Below is a summary of the resources and activities available to teachers and students for Constitution Week.
#MNCONSTWEEK Twitter event
Minnesota students and teachers can be part of a statewide Twitter event, #MNCONSTWEEK, to learn more about the Constitution. Students and teachers who participate in the Twitter event will be entered in a drawing for prizes.
Each day of the event week with have a theme for the #MNCONSTWEEK Twitter conversation. All Tweets that day will provide information, websites, and resources focused on that Constitutional theme:
- Mon., Sept. 14: #wethepeoplecw (citizenship)
- Tues., Sept. 15: #shallhavethepowercw (power)
- Wed., Sept. 16: #lawoftheland (rule of law)
- Thurs., Sept. 17: #establishjusticecw (justice)
- Fri., Sept. 18: #billofrights (rights)
More information about the #MNCONSTWEEK Twitter event will be posted on the Minnesota Historical Society Education Department Twitter feed,@HistoryEdMNHS.
Magna Carta Trivia App
To help students learning about Magna Carta and the Constitution to put their knowledge to the test, the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society and the Learning Law and Democracy Foundation have teamed up with Thomson Reuters to create a Magna Carta quiz that will be available September 13th at https://lawschool.westlaw.com/Marketing/Display/CD/1. A downloadable app titled Magna Carta Quiz for iPhone and Android will be available soon at the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store.
Constitution Week Video
The Minnesota Historical Society has produced a short video featuring Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea available on the Society’s Constitution Week web page at http://education.mnhs.org/constitution-week.
Essay Contest
During Constitution Week, the Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society will announce details of an essay contest related to the Magna Carta for Minnesota high school juniors and seniors. Winners will receive a $500 scholarship. More information about the contest will be posted athttp://www.mncourthistory.org/Essay-Contest.
Lesson Plans and Magna Carta Resources
To help bring the lessons of Magna Carta into the classroom, Learning Law and Democracy has posted a collection of educator-created lesson plans and resources highlighting the enduring themes of liberty, freedom, and self-determination for use by teachers across the state. The lessons and resources can be found at http://teachingcivics.org/programs/celebrate-magna-carta/.
"Magna Carta: Enduring Legacy" exhibit developed by:
Minnesota partners:
