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Early Ideas About Rights
The term civil rights comes from the Latin ius civis, or
“the rights of a citizen.” Ancient Greek and Roman
citizens, who were all male, had rights that non-citizens,
such as women or enslaved people, did not.
n ancient times, rulers around the world gave certain rights to citizens,
Iwho were usually adult males. Such rights included the right to own
private property or to worship freely. In return, citizens were expected
to acknowledge the authority of the ruler.
By the Middle Ages, ties between rulers and their subjects were
complex. In 1215, however, nobles in England forced King John I to
grant some rights to his subjects in the Magna Carta, or “great charter.”
The charter limited the powers of the king. It protected citizens from
unjust imprisonment, and gave them the right to a full trial.
King John only
signed Magna
Carta because he
was an unpopular
ruler who needed
the support of
his nobles.
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