The Magna Carta

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Recommended: The medieval period

The Magna Carta
One of the most important documents of the Medieval Era is the “Great Charter” or Magna Carta of 1215. Signed at Runnymede, England, this document was the first to establish the common law and this was the first time a king no longer had absolute and total power. King John was known for the signing of the Magna Carta, though against his will. He was one of the more questionable and somewhat tyrannical monarchs of England and his actions are what sparked the creation of this charter. There were many events caused and acted upon by King John that made people want to limit the power a king could have, especially King John.
When Archbishop of Canterbury had died in 1205, the monks secretly chose a candidate as his successor. But when King John found out about them doing this in secret, he refused the election of the chosen person. He then appointed his own choice person to take the stand. The pope at the time, Pope Innocent III, refused to accept John’s candidate and instead arranged for Stephen Langton to be elected in 1207. King John was furious at their attempt to underestimate his power over the English church and as a result he expelled the monks of Canterbury who had helped Pope Innocent III in making the choice, and he refused to appoint Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury. There was constant conflict between John and the English church. Pope Innocent III responded to John’s final actions by excommunicating him. When John found this out, he in return started taxing the church, confiscated some of its land, and even forced many of the priests to leave their parishes. After years of conflict, he finally agreed to have Stephen Langton appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury and he also compensated the Chur...

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Works Cited
“Magna Carta 1215.” Lords and Ladies. Lords and Ladies, Alchin, L. K., 20 September 2012. Web. 28 April 2014.
“Magna Carta.” History Learning Site. History Learning Site, Trueman, Chris, 2013. Web. 28 April 2014.
“Magna Carta.” Constitutional Rights Foundation. Constitutional Rights Foundation. 2001. Web. 29 April 2014
Sen, Nina. “What is the significance of the Magna Carta?.” Live Science. TechMedia Network, 17 October 2012. Web. 29 April 2014.
Kelly, Martin. “Why is the Magna Carta seen as a key document in the founding of the US?.” About.com. About.com, 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.
“The Basics.” British Library. The British Library Board, n.d.. Web. 1 May 2014.
“Magna Carta.” History. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2014. Web 1 May 1, 2014
Martin, Victoria. “The Effects of the Magna Carta on the US Government.” eHow. Demand Media, Inc, 2014. 1 May 2014.

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