The story of Magna Carta begins with the succession of King John to the throne of England in 1199. Following on from his brother Richard, John inherited vast territories in France. However, these territories had been gained and controlled through harsh taxes on the English lords, and much of the English nobility was near to financial ruin.
Within a few years of taking the English crown, King John had lost most of his French holdings, but he was determined to get them back. The only way he could do this was to demand more money from his nobility in order to finance his armies. Although in this sense he was little different from his brother Richard, King John lacked the charisma and the political ability of his older brother. Where Richard could win friends and support among his Barons, King John could only make enemies.
By 1215 the political situation in England was spiralling out of control. The Barons (the nobles just under the King) rose in rebellion against their King. The rebellious Barons captured London in May of 1215 and demanded the King come and meet them at Runnymede near Windsor. Without support, King John was unable to threaten the Barons militarily, and thus he agreed to the meeting.
For days representatives from both sides argued, but in the end, King John was forced to sign a charter containing 63 clauses that placed limits on his royal power. The document became known as Magna Carta, The Great Charter, and several of the clauses remain in effect in British law to this day, and have served as the basis for other constitutional documents such as the American Declaration of Independence.
Soon after signing Magna Carta, King John broke his promises and attempted to reclaim his power militarily, however, before things came to a head, King John died due to illness (although some have speculated that he was poisoned). John was succeeded by his son Henry, who was too young to rule and placed under guardianship. Thus, the Barons became the defecto rulers of the country, and the new king was raised to understand the limits that had been put in place with Magna Carta.
Today, four original copies of the Magna Carta still exist: two are held in the British Library, one is in Lincoln cathedral, and one in Salisbury Cathedral. All are on display.
Primary information for this article taken from Magna Carta by Chris Sharp. British Heritage, July 2006.
