Magna Carta
Open the interactive lesson
Decisions, questions and your own progress, in the app
Magna Carta of 1215, British Library · Original authors were the barons and King John of England. Uploaded by Earthsound. · Public domain · Source page
The story
Rebel barons forced King John of England to agree to a charter at Runnymede, beside the River Thames. It said that the king, too, had to follow the law.
What happened next
The Pope cancelled it within ten weeks and war followed. But later kings reissued it, and its idea that no free man could be imprisoned without lawful judgement spread around the world.
Remember
- Magna Carta is Latin for "Great Charter"
- Four copies from 1215 still exist
- It influenced the United States Bill of Rights
Review question
Which king agreed to Magna Carta?
Answer: King John. Richard was John’s older brother. Henry VIII reigned three centuries later.
Image credits
- Magna Carta of 1215, British Library · Original authors were the barons and King John of England. Uploaded by Earthsound. · Public domain · Source page
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