Magna Carta Research Paper

The Magna Carta is a document that dates back to the year 1215. The document defined the rights of King John, who ruled England at the time. Throughout history the document's meaning has expanded to include all people, not just nobles.

King John ruled at the beginning of the 13th century. As John reigned, he was hated by many commoners. He lost English land to France and was losing money revenue. To compensate for the loss, he demanded higher taxes from the people of England. The English barons were not happy about this, not just because they did not want to pay higher taxes but also because it was the custom in those days for the king to consult with the barons before raising taxes. John raised taxes on many occasions and even introduced new ones without consulting them.

John also angered the pope by choosing someone to be the Archbishop of Canterbury against his wishes. This angered the pope so much that he excommunicated King John. To get back in favor with the pope, John accepted England as a fief of the papacy and paid Rome yearly rent. This gave the barons less control over their land which made them even angrier.

These two powerful groups got together and wrote a list of things they wanted the king to do, most of which were rights that they wanted him to guarantee them. John rejected these demands until the barons raised an army against him and overtook London. This forced John to negotiate with the barons and sign a document which contained their list of demands. This document was called the Magna Carta. A number of the promises, or clauses, in the document ensured that the king would not do whatever he felt like but would be constrained by laws and proper processes. The king was not allowed to seize property or possessions from people but had to pay for them like everyone else. Similar forms of abuse by the king were also ruled out by the