Decline of Feudalism 1

In England, the Magna Carta contributed to ideas about

• individual rights and liberties.

• loyalty to the king.

• the power of the peasants.

• the role of religion in society.

The name "Magna Carta" means

• first constitution.

• document of rights.

• solemn agreement.

• great charter.

What important legal reform did Henry II enact?

• He gave the monarch the right to jail or execute someone for no legal reason.

• He insisted that people accused of crimes had to be formally charged and stand trial at court.

• He separated the powers of government from the powers of the church.

• He signed the Magna Carta, which protected some of the rights of the nobles

Why was the Magna Carta significant?

• It gave the monarch unlimited power to tax the nobility.

• It restricted the power of the Church over the government.

• It affirmed that monarchs should rule with the advice of the governed.

• It guaranteed the freedom of serfs to live and work where they chose.

The principle of habeas corpus means that an accused person

• cannot be jailed indefinitely without being charged with a crime.

• cannot be tried in secret; he must be tried in an open court.

• must be convicted three times before being put to death.

• must be represented by a lawyer paid for by the court if he cannot afford one.

What did the Model Parliament do?

• It took away the monarch's power to impose taxes and gave that power to the common people.

• It set up the complex rules and regulations to be followed during each session of Parliament.

• It established the principle that the common people should have a voice in government.

• It recognized that the monarch had rights and liberties that the nobles could not violate.