POWER + PEOPLE

KING JOHN + THE MAGNA CARTA

year: 1215

causes:

• opinions of King John:
  - viewed as a poor military leader (failed to win his lands in Normandy back in 1214)
  - arrested Baron William de Briouze’s wife and son and both died in his custody
  - failed to take most Barons’ advice and relied on a small group of advisors

• money:
  - needed money for war so taxed heavily
  - scutage (money given to King so people didn’t have to fight for him) was demanded 11 times from 1199-1214 and was raised 14 times
  - barons felt unfairly taxed (to have fair taxes for the barons = one of the terms of the magna carta)

• religion:
  - 1207: the Pope excommunicated John over a serious dispute about who should be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
  - the excommunication meant the Pope CLOSED DOWN ENGLISH CHURCHES - people couldn’t attend worship, get married, have funerals….
  - 1213: though John + Pope mended their relationship, ppl were still angry and so in the Magna Carta, one of the Barons’ terms was for John not to interfere w Church

• government:
  - felt john had too much power
  - barons felt unfairly taxed (to have fair taxes for the barons = one of the terms of the magna carta) by the king and felt they weren’t listened to
  - wanted a “council of 25 barons to ensure laws… in charter respected” so wanted more power

magna carta significance

significance:

short term:

• legally limited John’s power

• Kings became subject to the law

• first written constitution by ‘the people’ (though Barons)

• separated King from religion

long term:

• first ‘form’ of govn. established to ensure the King was following laws and constitution

• still forms basis of our constitution today and inspired other countries (e.g America’s in 1787)

SIMON DE MONTFORT AND THE PROVISIONS OF OXFORD

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