History glossary
Magna Carta
the 1215 charter that forced King John to acknowledge limits on royal power under law.
- Category
- Document
- Region
- England
- Date range
- 1215
What it means
Magna Carta was the charter sealed by King John in 1215 after revolt by his barons. Most clauses addressed feudal grievances, but its limits on imprisonment, taxation, and royal justice later became symbols of lawful government.
Stories using this term
Feudalism and Medieval Society
From the estates of Charlemagne's empire to the flowering of Gothic cathedrals, this story explores how feudal hierarchies, manorial agriculture, and Church authority shaped the lives of kings, knights, and peasants alike.
The Plantagenets
From Henry II’s cross-Channel inheritance to Bosworth, the Plantagenets shaped England through royal justice, conquest, rebellion and a struggle over who could control the crown.
