1. Magna
Carta

2. The Unpopular King John
 Led England into losing wars
 Increased taxes
 Arrested opponents at will
 Lost all of his land in northern France (1204)
 Caused the Pope to interdict England

3. The Nobles Respond  Renounced allegiance to King John
 Cornered him in a meadow
 Forced him to put his seal to a document called the Magna Carta
When? June 1215
Where? Runnymede, outside of London

4. 7 Ideas from this “Great Charter”
♦ King has to obey the law
♦ The king can be removed from power if he doesn’t obey the law
♦ Must consult nobles before raising taxes
♦ He cannot take peoples private property
♦ Leave Church matters to the Pope
♦ Due Process of Law
♦ Trial by Jury

5. Two Important Ideas with Roots in the Magna Carta
 Habeas corpus- the principle that accused persons can’t be held in jail without the consent of a court
 Independent Judiciary- the idea that judges be free of royal control

6. Parliament
FIRST…
 A council of nobles and commoners created to advise the king
TODAY…
 It’s the lawmaking body that governs England
Edward I, King John’s grandson, created the first Parliament in 1295.

7. Influence of the Magna Carta
 One of the first documents to protect people’s rights
 It began the process that brought democracy to England.
 Some of its ideas are in the U.S Constitution.