Magna Carta Basics
What does "Magna Carta" mean in English?
The Great Charter
Who was unhappy with King John’s rule?
Answer: The barons/nobles
Who was the king before John who died unexpectedly?
Answer: King Richard the Lionheart
What key principle did the Magna Carta establish about the king's power?
Answer: The king must follow the law
Which country’s founding documents were influenced by the Magna Carta?
Answer: Canada (The Canadian charter of rights and freedoms)
In what year was the Magna Carta signed?
Answer: 1215
What problem led King John to tax people heavily?
Answer: Expensive wars (like with France)
Who helped the barons negotiate terms with King John?
Answer: Archbishop Stephen Langton
How did the Magna Carta change the way taxes were decided?
Answer: Taxes could only be levied with baronial consent
Which country was most directly affected by the Magna Carta for centuries?
Answer: England
Where was the Magna Carta signed?
Runnymede, England
What did King John do that made him unpopular with his barons?
Answer: Imposed heavy taxes and ignored the barons' advice
Who became king after King John’s death?
Answer: His son, King Henry III
What right did the Magna Carta establish for someone imprisoned without a reason?
Answer: Right to a fair trial (habeas corpus)
What kind of government system did the Magna Carta help inspire in England?
Answer: A constitutional monarchy
Who signed the Magna Carta?
King John of England
What did the barons demand from King John to limit his power?
Answer: They demanded he sign the Magna Carta
Who organized the barons against King John?
Answer: The barons themselves, led by key nobles
How did the Magna Carta impact the relationship between the church and the king?
Answer: It stated the church should be free from royal interference
Name one famous document, other than the Magna Carta, that has inspired rights and freedom worldwide.
Answer: The U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, or Bill of Rights, UDHR
How many original copies of the Magna Carta exist today?
Answer: Four
How did the Magna Carta change the king’s control over decisions and taxes?
Answer: The king needed barons’ consent for taxes and decisions
Which English king reissued the Magna Carta as a way to win support?
Answer: King Henry III
Who primarily benefited from the Magna Carta’s protections and rights?
Answer: The barons and nobility
How is the Magna Carta remembered today in terms of its importance to rights and freedoms?
Answer: As a foundational symbol of freedom and rule of law