One of the most important legal documents in history, the Magna Carta influenced the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Nearly 800 years later, it’s now going online. Bruce O’Brien (University of Mary Washington) is leading an effort to translate and digitize 150 early English laws, including the Magna Carta.

Also featured: The King James Version of the Bible has been used to justify slavery and the submission of women. But it has also had a profound effect on the writings of African American women. Katherine Bassard (Virginia Commonwealth University), author of “Transforming Scriptures,” says African American women writers have used the King James Bible as a vehicle for social power.

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