The Magna Carta was the first document imposed upon a King of
England to limit his powers by law and protect civil rights.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Explain why the Magna Carta was created, and why it is considered a failure of democracy
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The Magna Carta was signed by King John in June 1215 and was the first document to impose
legal limits on the king's person powers.
Clause 61 stated that a committee of 25 barons could meet and overrule the will of the king; a
serious challenge to John's authority as ruling monarch.
The Charter was renounced as soon as the barons left London along with support from the Pope,
who annulled the document saying it impaired the Church's authority over the ‘papal territories'
of England and Ireland.
England moved to civil war with the barons trying to replace the monarch they disliked with an
alternative. They offered the crown to Prince Louis of France who was declared king in London in
May 1216.
The Magna Carta survived to become a ‘sacred text' but in practice, did not limit the power of
kings in the medieval period. Instead, it paved the way for later constitutional documents
including the Constitution of the United States.
TERMS [ edit ]
clause 61
Section of the Magna Carta that stated a committee of 25 barons who could at any time meet and
overrule the will of the King if he defied the provisions of the Charter, seizing his castles and
possessions if it was considered necessary.
English Civil War
A series of armed conflicts and political machinations in the period 1642­1651 between
Parliamentarians (Roundheads) and Royalists (Cavaliers) in the Kingdom of England over,
principally, the manner of its government.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [ edit ]
Over the course of the reign of King John (1199­1216), a combination of higher taxes,
unsuccessful wars and conflict with the Pope had made him unpopular with his barons, and
in 1215 some of the most important barons engaged in open rebellion against their king. King
John met the leaders of the barons along with their French and Scot allies at Runnymede,
to seal the Great Charter (Magna Carta in Latin), which imposed legal limits on the king's
personal powers. It was sealed under oath by King John at Runnymede, on the bank of the
River Thames near Windsor, England, on 15 June 1215
One of four known surviving 1215 examples of Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta of 1215, written in iron gall ink on parchment in medieval Latin, authenticated with the
Great Seal of King John. This document is held at the British Library and is identified as "British Library
Cotton MS Augustus II.106"
Clause 61
The 1215 document contained a large section that is now called clause 61 (the clauses were
not originally numbered). This section established a committee of 25 barons who could at
any time meet and overrule the will of the King if he defied the provisions of the Charter,
seizing his castles and possessions if it was considered necessary.
Clause 61 was a serious challenge to John's authority as a ruling monarch. He renounced it as
soon as the barons left London; Pope Innocent III also annulled the "shameful and
demeaning agreement, forced upon the King by violence and fear. " He rejected any call for
restraints on the King, saying it impaired John's dignity. He saw it as an affront to the
Church's authority over the King and the 'papal territories' of England and Ireland, and he
released John from his oath to obey it. The rebels knew that King John could never be
restrained by Magna Carta and so they sought a new King.
The Magna Carta ­ Failed Diplomacy that Changed the World
Our National History Day group documentary. We were eliminated in the CA­NHD junior group
documentary finals, but won a special award for projects prior to the 1500s. The theme this year (2011)
was Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, and Consequences. As a result, you will notice
a great emphasis on these ideas throughout the course of the video.
The First Barons' War
With the failure of Magna Carta to achieve peace or restrain John, the barons reverted to the
more traditional type of rebellion by trying to replace the monarch they disliked with an
alternative. In a measure of some desperation, despite the tenuousness of his claim and
despite the fact that he was French, they offered the crown of England to Prince Louis of
France who was proclaimed king in London in May 1216. John travelled around the country
to oppose the rebel forces, directing, among other operations, a two­month siege of the rebel­
held Rochester Castle. He died of dysentery contracted whilst on campaign in eastern
England during late 1216; supporters of his son Henry III went on to achieve victory over
Louis and the rebel barons the following year.
John of England vs Louis VIII of France
Created in 14th Century ­ the image King John of England in battle with the Francs (left), Prince Louis
VIII of France on the march (right). (British Library, Royal 16 G VI f. 385)
Legacy
As a means of preventing war, Magna Carta was a failure, rejected by most of the barons, and
was legally valid for no more than three months. However, It was Magna Carta, over other
early concessions by the monarch, which survived to become a "sacred text". In practice,
Magna Carta did not generally limit the power of kings in the medieval period, but by the
time of the English Civil War it had become an important symbol for those who wished to
show that the King was bound by the law. The charter is widely known throughout the
English speaking world as having influenced common and constitutional law, as well as
political representation and the development of parliament. The charter's association with
ideals of democracy, limitation of power, equality and freedom under law led to the rule of
constitutional law in England and beyond. It influenced the early settlers in New England
and inspired later constitutional documents, including the United States Constitution.
John of England signs Magna Carta. Illustration from Cassell's History of England (1902)
John of England signs Magna Carta. Image from Cassell's History of England ­ Century Edition ­
published circa 1902. Depiction of the stress under the King and all those in England struggling for
power.