Taking Liberties: the struggle for Britain's freedoms and rights

"We take our rights for granted. Free speech. A free press. The rule of law. The power to vote in those who make the laws and spend our taxes. And the power to vote them out. These rights didn't simply happen. They were hard won, the product of hundreds of years of debate, struggle, bloodshed and war. Many people died for them: heroes, villains, and some who were both. Nor are these rights ours forever. They can be changed or removed, and at various times in our history, they have been. The British Library's forthcoming free exhibition Taking Liberties: the struggle for Britain's freedoms and rights uncovers the roots of British democracy over a period of more than 900 years. 31 October 2008 to 1 March 2009"