1. Magna Carta

2. Background on
King John
King John

3. Prince John
King Henry II believed that his youngest son
John would “in the end will insult (him and his
family) more grievously and more dangerously
than any of the others.”
When his brother Richard became King, John
began to plot against him.
When Richard was captured on his way home
from a crusade, John pretended to raise money
for his release!

4. Prince John
John actually tried to bribe Richard’s
captor to hold him longer!!!
Richard eventually returned to
England, but died 5 years later.
John was crowned King one month
after Richard’s death!

5. John’s Mistakes
“Allegedly” had his nephew killed because
people believed that the nephew should be king.
He would falsely accuse someone in order to
collect fines in order to get money to fight
France.
He forced the barons (lords) to pay “scutages”
(taxes) instead of supplying soldiers for the
campaigns against France. What happened is
England lost many battles & land because they
didn’t have a strong army.

6. Disney’s Song about
the Nasty King John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37bbj8HbM5I

7. John’s Mistakes
King John was excommunicated by the Pope due to
an argument over power. King John was the first King
to ever be excommunicated. This meant that all of the
churches in England were closed and priests couldn’t
hear confessions, perform marriages, funerals and
baptisms.
The people were nervous of not going to heaven and
started to rebel.
John finally agreed with the Pope only because his
lords weren’t supporting him, they were supporting
the church.

8. John Isn’t All Bad!!
Expanded the civil service system which
allowed courts to maintain the law and
resolve disputes.
Granted self-government to growing cities.
Established a uniform system of weights
and measures.
creating a royal navy
requiring government offices to keep formal
archives.

9. Runneymede ~ site of Magna
Carta Signing ~
Monday, June 15, 1215
through
June 19, 1215
June 19, 1215
June 19, 1215

10. Runnymede was used a
meeting place.

11. Memorial of Where
Signature took place

13. One of the four
remaining

14. Scribes wrote very small because
parchment paper was expensive.
It was written in Latin because Latin
was the universal language.
It was written in Latin because Latin
was the universal language.

15. Negotiated for four
days on an
agreement called the
Articles of the Barons

16. These demands
became known as
the Magna Carta or
also known as
“Great Charter”.
“Great Charter”.

17. Has 63 articles
Most famous article ~ Article 39
“No free man shall be...put in prison or
deprived of his possessions except by
the legal judgment of his peers or by the
law of the land.”
(Peasants unfortunately were not
considered “free” so they could still be
put in jail for no apparent reason.)

18. Good News!!!
The Magna Carta limited the King’s
power and strengthened the rights of
the nobles.

19. John up to his Old Tricks
King John did not want to follow this
charter. However, he made an “OATH”.
King John asked Pope Innocent III to
release him from the OATH, and the
Pope agreed. The Pope stated that any
oath made under such frightening
circumstances could not be enforced.

20. WAIT...there’s more
Drama!!
King John overlooked the fact that if he did not
hold up his end of the deal, the nobles and
townspeople were willing to fight to make sure it
goes through...a civil war broke out!!
The nobles got an army form the French King to
help them fight against King John!

21. BAD NEWS FOR
JOHN!!!
King John fought back until he was
shipwrecked and ate a bad meal of
peaches and cider.
This meal turned out to be his LAST!!