1. The Magna Carta

2. King John Born in 1166 in Oxford, England
He was called John Lackland because he lost most of his lands in France while his brother Richard the Lionheart had been away on the Crusade

3. King John John had trouble with the barons
* required they pay high taxes
* ignored their traditional rights
* arrested his opponents at will
Barons and nobles believed he was both a coward and a murderer
John also had issues with the church
* collected large amounts of money from its properties
King John

4. King John John loses war in France and it is the last straw…
Barons join forces with the Archbishop of Canterbury
Raise an army called “The Army of God”
Led by Baron Fitzwater
Demand that King John agree to limit his power
King John

5. June 1215 nobles meet King John near Runnymede
Nobles insisted that John put his seal on a document called Magna Carta, which means “Great Charter” in Latin
Magna Carta was an agreement between the nobles and the monarch
Nobles agreed that the monarch could continue to rule
King John agreed to observe common law and the traditional rights of the nobles and the Church

6. The Magna Carta The Great Charter or Magna Carta included 63 clauses
Clause 61 came to be known as the security clause because it gave the barons power over the king
Protected the nobles and not necessarily the peasants
Pope said John was not bound to the Magna Carta.

7. The Magna Carta John wasn’t allowed to interfere with the Church
He couldn’t raise taxes without his barons agreeing
Freemen couldn’t be punished without a fair trial
Punishment should fit the crime

8. The Magna Carta’s Importance
Magna Carta only protected the rights and privileges of nobles
Limited the power of the king and ended the idea of rule by divine right
English came to regard it as the beginning of people’s rights and liberties that would lead to democracy

9. Habeas Corpus
“no free man” could be jailed except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land
developed into a key part of English common law known as habeas corpus
habeas corpus: the legal concept that an accused person cannot be jailed indefinitely without being charged with a crime

10. A New Governing Body
King Henry III removed from throne after he breaks an agreement
Replaced with group of representatives
Parliament
*nobility
*church officials
*representatives from cities and towns

11. Parliament’s Powers House of Commons House of Lords
Eventually control collection of taxes
*could limit the power of the English monarchy
Introduce and pass laws
King needed parliament’s approval to pass laws
Power grew slowly

12. Modern Democratic Thought
Independent judiciaries
*system of judges and courts of law
Government elected by the people to represent them
Extension of parliamentary system
Citizens voice their opinions through voting
*suffrage – access to vote