King John inherited the throne in 1199. He lost most of his French possessions, fell out with the Pope over the appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury, and tried to raise taxes for unpopular wars. By 1215 a powerful group of barons had had enough; they captured London and forced him to negotiate at Runnymede on the Thames.
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The agreement, sealed in June 1215, became known as Magna Carta — the Great Charter. It promised that the king would not raise certain taxes without consent, that no free man would be imprisoned without due process, and that the church would be free from royal interference. Most of the original clauses have long been repealed, but the principles became foundational.
You may be asked who sealed Magna Carta (King John), where it was sealed (Runnymede), or what the document established (limits on royal power and the rule of law).
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