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Key Documents of Liberty: Ancient and Medieval

[An image of the signed and sealed Magna Carta (1250)]

We have gathered here a number of important documents and pamphlets which have been crucial in the development of free institutions. They include political documents such as bills of rights, declarations of independence, constitutions, and other pieces of legislation, as well as political pamphlets from the 17th and 18th centuries which advocated or defended such documents.

The collection of Key Documents of Liberty will be made up of several sections:

• Ancient and Medieval
• 17th Century
• 18th Century
• 19th Century

Related Links in the Library:

• Subject Area: Law
• Topic: The English Revolution
• Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution
• Topic: The French Revolution
• School of Thought: The Founding Fathers
• School of Thought: The Levellers

The OLL has a strong collection covering the period of the founding of the American Republic, the formation of the constitution and the bill of rights, and the early Republic. We have online a number of Liberty Fund published books which contain important primary source material useful for teaching at the high school and early college level, including:

• Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, 1730-1805, ed. Ellis Sandoz.
• The American Republic: Primary Sources, ed. Bruce Frohnen.
• Liberty and Order: The First American Party Struggle, ed. Lance Banning.
• Colonial Origins of the American Constitution: A Documentary History, ed. Donald S. Lutz.
• The Founders’ Constitution, ed. Philip Kurland and Ralph Lerner. External website
• The Struggle for Sovereignty: 17th Century English Political Tracts, ed. Joyce Malcolm.
• The Federalist (Gideon Edition).

We also have online the collected works of the following Founding Fathers:

• Thomas Jefferson
• Alexander Hamilton
• James Madison
• Thomas Paine

• 1750 B.C.: Prologue and Epilogue to Hammurabi’s Code

  Rev. Claude Hermann Walter Johns, Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1904). Chapter: I: THE PROLOGUE AND EPILOGUE TO THE CODE OF AMMURABI

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2227/209172 on 2009-10-20

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1750 B.C.: THE CODE OF AMMURABI

  Rev. Claude Hermann Walter Johns, Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1904). Chapter: II: THE CODE OF AMMURABI

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2227/209094 on 2009-10-20

  The text is in the public domain.

• 160: On Civil and Natural Law in The Institutes of Roman Law

  Gaius, Gai Institutiones or Institutes of Roman Law by Gaius, with a Translation and Commentary by the late Edward Poste, M.A. Fourth edition, revised and enlarged by E.A. Whittuck, M.A. B.C.L., with an historical introduction by A.H.J. Greenidge, D.Litt. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1904). Chapter: [I. DE IVRE CIVILI ET NATVRALI.]

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/1154/88570 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 160: QVIBVS ALIENARE LICEAT VEL NON in The Institutes of Roman Law

  Gaius, Gai Institutiones or Institutes of Roman Law by Gaius, with a Translation and Commentary by the late Edward Poste, M.A. Fourth edition, revised and enlarged by E.A. Whittuck, M.A. B.C.L., with an historical introduction by A.H.J. Greenidge, D.Litt. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1904). Chapter: QVIBVS ALIENARE LICEAT VEL NON.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/1154/88637 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 940: Otto I Grants Jurisdiction over a Town to the Abbots of New Corvey

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 306.: Otto I Grants Jurisdiction over a Town to the Abbots of New Corvey, 940.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215772 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 965: Otto I Grants a Market to an Archbishop

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 302.: Otto I Grants a Market to an Archbishop, 965.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215764 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 999: Otto III Grants a Market to Count Bertold

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 303.: Otto III Grants a Market to Count Bertold, 999.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215766 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1076: The Deposition of Gregory VII by Henry IV, January 24

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 75.: The Deposition of Gregory VII by Henry IV, January 24, 1076.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215164 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1076: The First Deposition and Excommunication of Henry IV by Gregory VII

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 77.: The First Deposition and Excommunication of Henry IV by Gregory VII, 1076.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215168 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• ca. 1090: Dictatus Papæ

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 65.: Dictatus Papæ, ca. 1090.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215140 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1117: Articles of the Communal Charter of Amiens (Latin)

  Augustin Thierry, The Formation and Progress of the Tiers État, or Third Estate in France, translated from the French by the Rev. Francis B. Wells, Two volumes in One (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1859). Chapter: SECTION IV.: Grant made by Philip of Alsace, Count of Amiens—Cession of the County of Amiens to Philippe-Auguste, King of France—Confirmation of the Commune—Additional Articles of the Communal Charter of Amiens; its definitive Text. *

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/1959/122992 on 2009-10-20

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1157: Cologne Merchants have a Gildhall in London

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 325.: Cologne Merchants have a Gildhall in London, 1157.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215810 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1218: A Market-court is Independent of the Local Court

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 305.: A Market-court is Independent of the Local Court, 1218.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215770 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• ca. 1230: Agreement between Hamburg and Lübeck

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 320.: Agreement between Hamburg and Lübeck, ca. 1230.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215800 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1236: No One shall Compel Merchants to Come to His Market

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 304.: No One shall Compel Merchants to Come to His Market, 1236.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215768 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1241: Agreement for Mutual Protection between Lübeck and Hamburg

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 321.: Agreement for Mutual Protection between Lübeck and Hamburg, 1241.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215802 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1250: Magna Carta (translation and Latin text)

  Ellis Sandoz, The Roots of Liberty: Magna Carta, Ancient Constitution, and the Anglo-American Tradition of Rule of Law, edited and with an Introduction by Ellis Sandoz (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2008). Chapter: Appendix: Text and Translation of Magna Carta *

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2180/201016 on 2009-10-20

  The copyright to this edition, in both print and electronic forms, is held by Liberty Fund, Inc. except for the translations into English of Fortescue made by S.B. Chrimes which is held by Cambridge University Press 1942.

• 1250: Magna Carta (translation)

  Bruce Frohnen, The American Republic: Primary Sources, ed. Bruce Frohnen (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2002). Chapter: Magna Charta 1215

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/669/206107 on 2009-10-20

  The copyright to this edition, in both print and electronic forms, is held by Liberty Fund, Inc.

• 1254: Peace Established by the Rhine League

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 319.: Peace Established by the Rhine League, 1254.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215798 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.

• 1260-64: Decrees of the Hanseatic League

  Oliver J. Thatcher, A Source Book for Mediaeval History. Selected Documents Illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher and Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905). Chapter: 323.: Decrees of the Hanseatic League, 1260-64.

  Accessed from oll.libertyfund.org/title/2277/215806 on 2010-02-05

  The text is in the public domain.