Magna Carta: History and Facts

Magna Carta: History and Facts

King John of England was compelled to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, which declared that the king was subject to the law and upheld the rights of the people. One of the most significant texts in democratic history is still thought to be the Magna Carta.

Magna Carta: History and Facts

Background

Following the death of his brother, Richard the Lionheart, in 1199, John ascended to the throne. John could be very nasty and had a horrible temper. The English Barons did not think much of him.

John also faced numerous challenges throughout his reign as king. He and France were at war all the time. John imposed hefty taxes on the English Barons in order to finance this war. He was also banished from the church after upsetting the Pope.

The Barons Rebel

The northern English barons had had enough of John’s exorbitant taxes by 1215. They made the decision to rebel. They marched on London under the command of Baron Robert Fitzwalter, identifying themselves as the “army of God.”. Once they had taken London, John consented to talk to them.

Signing the Magna Carta

On June 15, 1215, King John met the barons in Runnymede, a neutral location to the west of London. Here, the barons pressed King John to ratify the Magna Carta, a charter that gave them certain privileges. King John promised to carry out his duties as King of England by keeping the law and presiding over a just government by signing the document. The barons consented to step down and give up London in exchange.

Civil War

As it happens, neither party intended to abide by the terms of the agreement. King John made an immediate attempt to void the contract. He even ordered the document to be deemed “illegal and unjust” by the Pope. Nevertheless, the barons refused to give up London.

England was soon embroiled in a civil war. French troops helped the barons under the leadership of Robert Fitzwalter. The First lords’ War, so named because it lasted a year, pitted the lords against King John. But King John’s death in 1216 brought the conflict to an immediate end.

Details of the Magna Carta

The Magna Carta was an extensive manuscript. The paper contained 63 clauses that outlined numerous laws that the barons desired the King to uphold. Among the rights that these paragraphs guaranteed were:

• Protection of church rights
• Access to swift justice
• No new taxes without the Barons’ agreement
• Limitations on feudal payments
• Protection from illegal imprisonment
• A council of 25 Barons who would insure that King John followed the laws

Legacy

The concepts outlined in the Magna Carta established enduring values of liberty for the English, notwithstanding King John’s disobedience. The freedom of the English Church, the “ancient liberties” of the City of London, and the right to due process are the three sections that remain in effect as English law.

The concepts contained in the Magna Carta also had an impact on other nations’ constitutions and histories. The rights outlined in the Declaration served as justification for the American colonists’ uprising and subsequent formation of their own nation. The Bill of Rights and the US Constitution both contain several references to these rights.

Facts about the Magna Carta

• Magna Carta is Latin for Great Charter. The document itself was originally written in Latin.
• King John is often portrayed as the villain in the story of Robin Hood.
• The council of 25 barons that the Magna Carta formed to watch over the king eventually became the Parliament of England.
• Archbishop Stephen Langton helped to negotiate the agreement between the two sides. He is also credited with dividing the Bible up into the modern system of chapters used today.
• The Magna Carta was influenced by the Charter of Liberties signed by King Henry I in 1100.

Read also: Hundred Years War: History and Facts