Magna Carta

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Background Information

• After King Richards death, his younger brother
  John took the throne in 1199 A.D.
• John was a cruel, ignorant, and unpopular king
• He received the nickname Lackland because he
  inherited no land from his father

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King John

• King John angered his people by
• Raising taxes
• Taking money for wars (which he ended up losing)
• Arguing with the Pope and trying to take control
  over Church decisions
• As a result, a group of nobles began looking for
  a way to limit the kings powers and protect
  their own rights in return

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Magna Carta

• In 1215, at the meadow of Runnymede, a group of
  nobles and lords forced King John to approve a
  document they had written Magna Carta
• Magna Carta means Great Charter and it focused
  on the rights of the nobles

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The Effects of the Magna Carta

• No imprisonment without a trial by jury
• habeas corpus-you have the body- meant
  that people could not be held in jail without a
  reason
• Must consult lords before raising taxes
• Must choose competent officials who understand
  and obey the law themselves
• Could not interfere with or limit the freedom of
  the church
• Most importantly, the Magna Carta required that
  everyone- even the king- had to obey the law

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Changes after Magna Carta

• After King John signed the charter, the conflicts
  continued until his death the following year
• The Magna Carta lived on inspiring the English to
  find more ways to limit the kings power
• A council of nobles who advise the king was
  created, which eventually developed into
  Parliament, the lawmaking body that governs
  England today
• By the late Middle Ages, kings could do little
  without Parliaments support