In 1215 The Magana Carter was sealed by the King John of England, binding him to the demands of his nobles.
Before King Edward's death on the 5th of January 1066 he named Harold (his Brother-in-law) as his successor to the English throne. Harold reigned as King Harold II of England until the 14th of October 1066 when he fought William the Conqueror (Edwards Cousin who also claimed to have been promised the English throne) for the Crown and died in the battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror was successful in claiming the throne but as a foreigner he knew it would be difficult for him to hold onto it. Added to this William was also the Duke of Normandy with lands in France and therefore he also needed to maintain control of his French assets.
One way he attempted to maintain control in England was by building many Castles which had not been seen before in England. In 1076 William had started construction of the ‘White Tower’, the main keep of the ‘Tower of London’ and from where it gets its name. The White Tower, like all his castles, were full of men ready to crush any uprising against William by the people of the towns and cities. But his new Kingdom was vast and William needed help to control the entire nation. His answer was to first divide the country into sections and then assign someone he could trust to govern these areas and his subjects. William chose noblemen that had proved their allegiance and awarded them with titles and land. In return these noblemen had to collect taxes and supply men for the king’s foreign campaigns. In tern these noblemen divided their land up to be governed by those they felt worthy. These people would pledge allegiance to their noblemen and collect taxes on his behalf. This system was known as the Feudal System and it served many kings since very well. In 1085 William ordered the production of a book containing details of who owned what in England as well as who owed him tax and how much they owed. The book became known as the doomsday book and allowed William the Conqueror to demand all taxes owed to him.
On the 2nd of August 1100 William the conquerors fourth son Henry ascended to the throne and became Henry I of England. He was very well educated and in seeking his own allegiances with his noblemen and to mend bad blood caused by the abuses of his brother William II he created the Charter of Liberties. The Charter imposed laws on himself as King and gave concessions to his noblemen and those who have fought for him in battle.
On the 6th of April 1199 Henry I’s great-grandson, John, became King of England. By 1202 England was once again at war with France and despite early victories King John lost most of his lands in France. He spent many years raising taxes to raise the armies he required to regain the lands but was unsuccessful. With the cost of his wars rising and having nothing to show for it his noblemen began to rebel against him. The noblemen requested that King John confirm the Charter of Liberties but King John ignored their requests. On the 10th of June 1215 the Barons and their men entered the city of London and on the 15th of June they forced King John to place his royal seal on a new charter legally binding the King to the Laws of England and assured rights for the free people of England. It is considered the first document placing rights of Liberty to free men that even a King must obey. The document known as the ‘Magna Charta’, which is Latin for great charter, is the cornerstone of English law and liberty in the English speaking world.
2015 will be the 800th anniversary of the Magna Charta.
