1. Signing of the Magna Carta: Excellent Example (A+)
When: June 15, 1215
Where: Runnymede near Windsor in England
Who: King John of England and his Nobles
What: In order to avoid a bloody civil war between himself and his nobles, King John signed the Magna Carta (Great Charter) which took some powers from the king and gave them to the nobles within Parliament.
Why: The King had tried to raise taxes on the Nobles to pay for another Crusade within the Holy Land. The Nobles, feeling that their rights were not being respected, refused to pay the taxes. The king had also held nobles and refused their right to trial. The Nobles threatened a civil war, which John would surely lose.
Why Important: The Magna Carta is important for two main reasons. First, it established common law within England. Under this system, all people, including the king, had to be subjected to the same laws. This included the right of Habeas Corpus, or the right to not be held without due process of the law (arrest for a reason, trial, etc…) The second reason the Magna Carta is important is that it established that the king’s power was not limitless. The king, like all other people had to follow the laws, and had to work with his people (through Parliament) in order to pass taxes and raise an army. This principle of a limited monarchy and creations of law making bodies, such as Parliament, would pave the way for modern democratic ideologies which are still used by many countries today.
King John Signs the Magna Carta

2. Signing of the Magna Carta: Average Example (C+/B-)
When: June 15, 1215 AD
Where: England
Who: King John of England and his Nobles
What: King John signed the Magna Carta and gave some rights to his nobles. Among these were the right to Parliament and Habeas Corpus.
Why: The King was trying to avoid a civil war with his nobles. In order to do this, he signed the Magna Carta and gave up some of his rights. The people of England decided not to rise up against John due to this action
Why Important: The Magna Carta is important because it took power away from the king and gave it to hiss people. This idea would help to fuel revolutions in many parts of the world in order to get rights and constitutional governments. The Magna Carta also established that all people had to follow the law including the King.
The Magna Carta

3. Signing of the Magna Carta: Poor Example (F)
When: 1215 AD
Where: England
Who: The King and his Nobles
What: The Magna Carta was an agreement between the king and his people
Why: The nobles wanted rights
Why Important: The Magna Carta was important, because it took power away from the king. The king now had less power. More power went to the people.
The Magna Carta