We are on the 800th anniversary years of the upheaval in England between 1209 and 1212 when the Barons and Freemen began rising up against the ruthlessly autocratic King John; leading up to the signing of the original Magna Charta (and lesser known Charta De Foresta) at "Runnymede" on 15 June 1215. In the eyes of King John, those who forced him and his courtiers at sword point to agree to and sign the initial form of “The Great Charter of Liberties” were sword wielding deniers of John’s divine right to rule and terrorists of the day. This was little different than King George III’s or Parliament’s reaction to the Declaration of Independence of the American Colonists or the Obama administration's view of the Tea Party. While many Americans are familiar with the aftermath of the Declaration of Independence; it is worthwhile seeing the movie “Ironclad”; it is not a polished Hollywood production, it was produced in an effort to be as historically accurate as possible regarding King John’s retaliation against those who forced him to sign that document.
