Question

The Magna Carta is a medieval English document that restrained the powers of the king. It was the first document in which explicit rights of the individual were guaranteed in writing. Read the attached knowledge article taking notes as you read, and then answer the questions that follow. Be sure to include details from the text in your responses.

a. According to the article, how did the Magna Carta restrict the power of the king? What benefit did the nobles receive from restricting the king?



Type your response here:



b. Which part of English society was completely exempted from restrictions under the Magna Carta?



Type your response here:



c. Which powers were left to the king? What was important about the powers that remained with the king?



Type your response here:



d. Explain how clause 39 of the Magna Carta was influential to the American Revolution.



Type your response here:

Answer 1

A. the magna carta restricted the king of taxation without representation, the nobles benefited from this because most of the people who wrote the manga carta were nobles. the magna carta also established a parliament which lowered the kings rule over the country 

Answer 2

In clause 12, the king is restricted in the types of taxes he can impose without approval of the Great Council (a group made up of the nobles). This restricted his ability to raise taxes for wars. This had been the main concern of the nobles in the years preceding the document, because taxes had been raised to fund a war against France. The nobility benefited because the Magna Carta defined individual rights and emphasized the role of laws in society. Clause 39 states, for example, that people should be punished only after a ruling by their peers (similar to the idea of a jury trial) or by the sanctions of the law. Also, the phrase "no free man" implies that all people should be treated equally under the law. By emphasizing this ideal, the Magna Carta restricted the king’s ability to punish his subjects.