This Day in History: 15 June 2020
15 June 1215
805 years ago, today, King John put his royal seal on Magna Carta, following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule. John's reign had been characterised by failure. He lost the significant duchy of Normandy to the French and taxed the English nobility heavily to pay for his foreign misadventures. He also argued with Pope Innocent III and sold church offices for the Crown's wealth. The barons under John initiated a rebellion against the king's abuse of feudal law and custom. John had no choice but to give in to their demands. The document drawn up forced the king to make specific guarantees of the rights of his barons, instead of the vague charters of the earlier English kings. John met with his barons at Runnymede upon Thames and set his seal to the Articles of the Barons, formally issued as Magna Carta.
The document was essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons and guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and keep the nation's laws. However, civil war still broke out the same year, and John ignored his obligations under the charter. It also did not establish Parliament, as some historians have claimed. Upon John's death, Magna Carta was modified by his son, King Henry III, and later voluntarily reissued for the third time, where it formally entered English statute law. Although it was more of a reactionary document than a progressive one, Magna Carta was still seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England.
Want to find out more about the signing of Magna Carta and the reign of King John? Click here for more information on the life of King John, or here for more on the Magna Carta.
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