King John

signing the Magna Carta

June 1215

Important Concepts in the Magna Carta: It established the idea of rights and laws that even the king cannot violate.
Separation of Church and State:	(1) ... the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired.
Trial by Jury:	(39) No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled ... except by the lawful judgement of his equals ...
"Habeas Corpus":	(39) ... or by the law of the land.
Equal Protection:	(40) To no one will we sell, and to no one will we deny, right or justice.
Interesting Items about Women
Inheritance	(7) At her husband's death, a widow may have her marriage portion and inheritance at once and without trouble. ... She may remain in her husband's house for forty days after his death, and within this period her dower shall be assigned to her.
Marriage	(8) No widow shall be compelled to marry, so long as she wishes to remain without a husband. But she must give security that she will not marry without royal consent, if she holds her lands of the Crown, or without the consent of whatever other lord she may hold them of.
The Next Step
Rule by Consent of the Governed	In 1295, King John's grandson Edward the First established the Model Parliament.