The United Kingdom lent a copy of Magna Carta to the United States Capitol for the 1976 Bicentennial.
The loan involved one of the four surviving original exemplifications of the 1215 charter. It was displayed in a specially designed case in the Capitol, giving visitors an opportunity to see a foundational document associated with limits on governmental power and due process.
The display opened on June 3, 1976, and the document was returned to Britain on June 13, 1977. The elaborate case included gold, stainless steel, precious stones, white enamel, and stone from Yorkshire.
Magna Carta was not a United States founding document, nor was it written in 1776. Its connection to the Bicentennial came through its long historical influence on constitutional traditions and its symbolic value as a gift from Britain during America’s anniversary year.