Magna Carta Outline

The Magna Carta, commonly known as the Great Charter, is one of the most influential and significant legal documents. King John ruled England from 1199-1216. He was a cruel and questionable ruler, remembered for his arbitrary punishment, unjustified taxing, relationship with the Church, and greed. The Barons and other members of the English Nobility were against this. After having land in France revoked by King Phillippe II of France, he realized that to rescue it, he would need to begin a war. As a result of this, King John arbitrarily raised taxes and scutage (A tax that funds the military), further dissatisfying the English Nobility. In 1213, the Barons united with Archbishop Stephen Langton and created an outline of the Magna Carta, before

The Rebels then took over London, forcing King John to encounter the English Nobility. Both parties met in Runnymede, England, on June 15th, 1215, beginning to negotiate on the document known as ‘Articles of the Barons’, eventually leading to an agreement and King John officially signing the Great Charter, commonly known as the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta played a fundamental role in the development of modern law. The Magna Carta aided in developing constitutionalism. Constitutionalism is the idea of having a constitutional government and law, which is the type of law responsible for outlining the abilities and powers of the government. The Magna Carta contributed to the development of this principle by limiting the powers of King John and his government. Being the first document to limit the authority of a ruler and government, this accounts for its significance to legal history. The Magna Carta also introduced the Rule of Law, the principle of the law applying to everyone, including leaders and governments. This principle is now a crucial aspect of law; some countries with the existence of the Rule of Law are Finland, Canada, and the United