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 Today in 1215, King John of England, under duress, had his seal attached to the Magna Carta.

John was the brother of Richard the Lion-Hearted who died childless.  Which left the throne to his brother, Prince John.  Yes, this is the same evil Prince John of the Robin Hood tales.  As monarch his nature did not change.

King John’s reign was characterized by failure. He lost Normandy to the French and lost a campaign to win it back. To pay for his military misadventures, the nobles were heavily taxed and John sold titles and church offices.  He took over the traditional role of "matchmaker" from the fathers of available noble maidens. 

These and other foibles caused the barons to unite and demand his approval of the "Magna Carta" (literally "big piece of paper").  This provided the nobles with a say in their taxation, demanded nobles could only be tried by a jury of their peers (i.e. other nobles)  ...  and a bunch of other stuff which meant a lot to the upper classes of the 13th Century.  

Peasants, who made up 90+% of the population gained nothing.

John, true to his nature, renounced the document as soon as the nobles went back home; he had his buddy the Pope threaten to excommunicate the rebellious barons.  

The nobles once again rose in revolt, but further bloodshed was prevented when John died of dysentery.  

The lasting importance of the Magna Carta was that it showed even monarchs had some restrictions on their power.




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