Magna Carta

By: Ashley StrimpleClass: Lib & Law

Teacher: Ms. BarnesBlock: 3rd

KING JOHN

1167-1216

Magna Carta• This is British's famous constitutional

document in history• Wrote in June 19, 1215 in Runnymede by king

John• 63 articles

• Most of the article pledged the king to uphold feudal customs

• One article granted the church freedom from royal interference

• This document guaranteed laws that the king could not go back on

( Encyclopedia )

Why?

• Grating charters of liberties had previously been granted by Henry the first, Stephen.

And Henry the second in attempts to placate opposition to a broad use of the

king’s power as feudal lord

( Encyclopedia )

Chapter 39• “For people today the most significant part of Magna Carta is

Chapter 39:No free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or diseased

[property taken] or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimized, neither will we attack him or send anyone to attack him, except

by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.Some have interpreted this provision to mean that Magna Carta guaranteed to free men the right to a trial by jury. However, the idea of a jury trial as we would recognize it today had not yet

developed by 1215.”

• This prevented king john from personally ordering arrest and punishment of a free man without lawful judgment.

http://www.crf-usa.org/Foundation_docs/Foundation_lesson_magna.html

Magna Carta

• The people only wanted king john to satisfy their complaints for his abusive

rules, and that King John had to abide by the laws just as well. When king john

agreed to Magna Carta, he admitted the law was above the king’s will

http://www.crf-usa.org/Foundation_docs/Foundation_lesson_magna.html

Magna Carta• King john surrenders his power when he agreed to this document.

• John did satisfy some of the barons personal suffering.

• But King John did secretly write to the Pope and ask him to cancel the Magna Carta.

• King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta. That is why he wanted to have it canceled.

• He was during this time building up his mercenary army

• But the barons did not trust john so the held their own army in London and maintained it