The Magna Carta:
Its Impact on Medieval England & Beyond
French Conflict
May 27, 1199: John is crowned king of England August 24, 1200: John married Isabel d’Angouleme Spring 1202: Philip II summons John to court;
John refuses May 1202: John captures his nephew, Arthur
of Brittany, who then disappears
August 1204: Philip seizes all of John’s French holdings except the
Aquitaine October 1214: John lost his final battle against
Philip & resigned himself to his losses
Papal Strife 1205: Canterbury secretly elects a new archbishop and
sends him to Rome for papal confirmation 1205: John forces the Canterbury chapter to elect his
candidate as archbishop 1207: Pope Innocent III consecrates his own choice,
Stephen Langton, instead…who John then bans from England
1208: Innocent places an Interdict on England 1209: Innocent excommunicates John, who proceeds to
seize all church assets for his own 1213: John and Innocent reconcile, with John offering
England as a fief to the papacy. This made John the Pope’s vassal but also won him the full support of the papacy against his enemies.
Domestic Disputes
1212: Plot to overthrow John failed 1214: Barons refused to supply troops for John’s
battle against Philip II April 1215: Barons from the north & east
organize against John and seize control of London, Lincoln, and Exeter
June 15, 1215: Langton organizes a truce between the barons and John that forces John to sign the Magna Carta
Fall 1215: The First Baron’s War begins when John refuses to abide by the charter
October 18, 1216: John dies just as he was losing the war
The Magna Carta Promised…
Protection of church rights Protection from illegal imprisonment Access to swift justice Baronial consent for any new taxes A limit on feudal dues & payments
Most importantly, it established a council of 25 barons who would serve as a “check” on John’s power. This was unheard of in medieval times.
Immediate Impact
John’s son, Henry III, would reissue and confirm the basic articles of the Magna Carta…except the council of barons. It would continue to reconfirmed by virtually every other king until Henry VI.
Henry III
Impact on Medieval England
Until the First Baron’s War & the Magna Carta, the power of the kings of England had been virtually unchecked. Afterwards, the English kings quickly learned that “if the barons ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”!
Edward II
Deposed in 1327
Richard II
Deposed in 1399
Henry VI
Deposed in 1461 & 1471
Richard III
Deposed in 1485
The Impact on England:From John to Elizabeth
II England’s medieval kings were not the only ones to feel the brunt of the nobles’ newfound empowerment. Over the years, more and more checks were placed on the Crown’s power (including the creation of Parliament) until it turned into the constitutional monarchy that we see today.
The Impact on America
The charter’s guarantees of due process and the freedom of the church in England are not only still on the books there today but their influence can also be seen in America’s Bill of Rights.
The Magna CartaThe Bill of
Rights
The End