King John and the Magna Carta

King John and the Magna Carta

England had many kings, some good, some not so good, and some really terrible. King John was a terrible king. There are stories about him saying things like he had put a peasant in prison so he could seize the man's horse and cart.

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King John was also a liar. He lied to get his own way. He was also very domineering. He expected to get everything that he wanted just because he was king.

Multiple Choice

According to stories about King John, what did he do to a peasant?​

• he sued a peasant for the the man's horse and cart

• he put a nobleman in prison so he could seize the man's house

• he put a peasant in prison so he could seize the man's horse and cart

• he stole someone's horse to use it as he fought in a battle

Promises meant nothing to King John. He would promise anything if there was money in it for him, but as soon as he saw an advantage for himself, he broke his word.

King John didn't even care for the church. He seized the monastery at Canterbury when the archbishop died. This made the new archbishop of Canterbury furious. His monastery had been taken away by the king.




monastery is a house for persons under religious vows

Multiple Choice

What made the new archbishop of Canterbury furious?

• King John painted the monastery at Canterbury yellow because the archbishop died

• King John stole money for the archbishop

• When the archbishop died, King John made everyone give up Christianity

• King John seized the monastery at Canterbury when the archbishop died

The archbishop decided to do something about King John. The archbishop called all the nobles of England together and read them the law about what they could do. The nobles were awed to learn that they had the legal right to do something about the king's bad behavior. But they did not do anything, not quite yet.

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Multiple Choice

What did the nobles do after learning from the archbishop that they could do something to stop King John?

• Nothing, not yet...

• Had King John thrown in jail

• seized power from King John

• Had King John executed

Shortly after this, King John raised the taxes without asking the nobles. The nobles knew this was against the law of England. The nobles got angry and went to King John. The King promised he would never do that again since it was against the law.

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Now remember how King John keeps his promises. A small amount of time later, King John raised the taxes again. When two of his nobles refused to pay, King John had them arrested.

Reorder

Place the following events in order

• The nobles met with King John to tell him he can't raise taxes because it's against the law.

• King John promised he wouldn't raise taxes again

• After his promise, he raised taxes again.

• 2 nobles refused to pay the taxes.

• King John had the 2 nobles arrested.

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2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

The rest of the nobles were angry. They put on their armor and gathered a huge force of nobles together at the town of Runnymede. Armed and ready, they brought the king there. The archbishop read aloud to the king from a parchment he held, a parchment called the Magna Carta, the Great Charter. This document stated the rights of the nobles and what they could do to the King if he violated those rights.

Labelling

Label the people in the picture.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

Knights

King John

Archbishop

Nobles

King John did not want to sign this paper. If he did, there was no way he would be able to go back on his word. But there was nothing else he could do. Without the nobles and their knights, he did not have anyone to protect him or the kingdom. So he signed.

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The Magna Carta is just a list of the rights of the nobles, but it is a list of rights signed by the king.

From that point on, the Kings and Queens of England could only do so much without the help of the nobles, and later on, without the help of the people themselves.

It was not democracy, but it was a very important step in that direction.

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Multiple Choice

Why did King John sign the Magna Carta?

• To please the Pope
• because he needs the barons and knights to protect his kingdom

• He wanted to expand his kingdom
• To gain more power over the barons

Multiple Choice

What year was the Magna Carta originally issued?

• 1215

• 1305

• 1453

• 1066

Multiple Choice

Who was the King of England when the Magna Carta was issued?

• King Henry VIII

• King Edward I

• King John

• King Richard I

Multiple Choice

Where was the Magna Carta sealed?

• London

• Runnymede

• Oxford

• Canterbury

Multiple Choice

What was the primary reason the Magna Carta was created?

• To establish England as a monarchy

• To limit the powers of the king and protect the rights of nobles

• To declare independence from France

• To introduce a new currency

Multiple Choice

Which group primarily forced King John to agree to the Magna Carta?

• The common people

• The clergy

• The barons

• Foreign invaders

Multiple Choice

What is one long-term significance of the Magna Carta?

• It established the Church of England.

• It served as a foundation for modern democracy.

• It ended feudalism in England.

• It created the British Empire.

Multiple Choice

How did the Magna Carta influence the American Constitution?

• It introduced the concept of a central bank.

• It established English as the official language.

• It inspired the idea of limiting governmental power and protecting individual rights.

• It outlined the structure of the legislative branch.