Magna Carta: Main Idea
Magna Carta: Main Idea
In a last-ditch effort to quash an armed rebellion against him, King John of England signed a document called the Magna Carta. This document basically was him promising to stop being a jerkface all the time—you know, doing things like claiming all the good forests for himself and coming up with new taxes every ten minutes.
As a peace treaty the Magna Carta failed miserably, mainly due to the fact that King John never had any intention of doing anything that it said. However, it did contain some seriously ahead-of-their-time ideas about fair trials and limited government. And that inspired a lot of other people to create systems where leaders were actually prevented from being jerkfaces.
So, thanks to King John's attempt to weasel out of a war he couldn't win, the world is a better place.
Questions
- What seem to be the most important issues upsetting the nobility during this time period?
- Why was the Church involved in the creation of the Magna Carta, and what role did the clergy play?
- What elements of the Magna Carta do you recognize in governments of the world today?
- How would the daily life of the king change if he followed this agreement? Would these changes be significant? Why or why not?
Chew On This
The ideals of the American Revolution and the creation of the U.S. Constitution both owe a great debt to the contents of the Magna Carta, which was the first document to offer civil liberties.
The signing of the Magna Carta was the beginning of the end for the divine right of kings and absolute monarchies all over the world because it started a chain reaction that continues to present day.
Quotes
Quote #1
FIRST, THAT WE HAVE GRANTED TO GOD, and by this present charter have confirmed for us and our heirs in perpetuity, that the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired. (1.1)
In addition to making the barons mad at him, King John had a bumpy relationship with the church, so right away they were making things crystal clear. IN ALL CAPS.
Quote #2
No "scutage" or "aid" may be levied in our kingdom without its general consent, unless it is for the ransom of our person, to make our eldest son a knight, and (once) to marry our eldest daughter. (12.1)
The suggestion that a king would need to ask for permission before creating a new tax on his subjects was revolutionary for the time…and was probably a major reason why the Magna Carta wasn't actually implemented.
Quote #3
No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. (39.1)
Sound familiar? The premise behind this clause, that people should have a trial before being punished, found its way into the Bill of Rights.
Quote #4
All forests that have been created in our reign shall at once be disafforested. River-banks that have been enclosed in our reign shall be treated similarly. (47.1-2)
This is one of several clauses where the King promises to stop taking things that aren't his, including entire forests and rivers (because King John liked to go big).
Quote #5
The barons shall elect twenty-five of their number to keep, and cause to be observed with all their might, the peace and liberties granted and confirmed to them by this charter. (61.2)
This is the clause that kind of accidentally creates a constitutional monarchy with a representative legislature. Maybe they were thinking the king just wouldn't read that far?