Magna Carta 1215

Question 1

Medieval society was built on the…

Answer 1

feudal system

Question 2

What was the Great Council?

Answer 2

barons would meet and discuss their views and concerns

Question 3

Who was king before the Magna Carta?

Answer 3

King John

Question 4

Who did King John argue with?

Answer 4

Pope Innocent II

Question 5

Why was King John reluctant to appoint Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury (AoC)?

Answer 5

as he supported the Pope

Question 6

How did the Pope react/ retaliate to King John’s disapproval of appointing Langton as AoC?

Answer 6

-placed England under Interdict in 1208
-excommunicated John in 1209

Question 7

What was scutage?

Answer 7

tax paid by Barons

Question 8

How many times did John impose Scutage since 1199?

Answer 8

11 times

Question 9

What nicknames were King John given due to his poor records in battles (e.g. losing land in France)?

Answer 9

-softsword
-lackland

Question 10

Why did the Barons act against John?

Answer 10

-breakdown in relations between the King and the Church
-high scutage payments

Question 11

Who led the Barons army?

Answer 11

Robert Fitzwalter

Question 12

Where did the Barons army go to?

Answer 12

occupy London

Question 13

Where did John first meet with the rebelling Barons?

Answer 13

Runnymede, near Windsor

Question 14

What was the Magna Carta?

Answer 14

63 promises that John had to keep

Question 15

When did John sign the Magna Carta?

Answer 15

15th June 1215

Question 16

What was Clause 12 of the Magna Carta?

Answer 16

the king must not demand scutage payments or other taxes without the agreement of the bishops and the barons

Question 17

What was Clause 61?

Answer 17

the barons shall choose 25 barons to make certain the king keeps this charter

Question 18

Did John stick to the Magna Carta?

Answer 18

NO

Question 19

When was the First Baron’s War?

Answer 19

1215 - 1217

Question 20

Where did King John have success during the First Barons War?

Answer 20

Siege of Rochester Castle

Question 21

When did king John die?

Answer 21

October 1216

Question 22

Siege of Rochester Castle: how did John fight back?

Answer 22

5 siege engines - consisting of catapults and trebuchets

Question 23

Who did the Barons use against John in 1216?

Answer 23

French Prince Louis

Question 24

Who became king after John died?

Answer 24

his 9 year old son Henry (Henry III)

Question 25

Why was it useful for the Barons that Henry was the new king?

Answer 25

he was young - so they could control him to follow the Magna Carta

Question 26

What was the ST significance on the Magna Carta?

Answer 26

-first limits placed on the arbitrary rule
-established rights

Question 27

What were the ST limits of the Magna Carta?

Answer 27

-Henry III refused to accept limits (future conflict, Simon de Montfort)
-no free rights for peasants and villeins
-only allowed Barons to have a say, parliament wasn’t set up until 1295

Question 28

What were the LT significance of the Magna Carta?

Answer 28

-more people became freemen
-inspired future democratic movements (e.g. American Revolution in 18th century)
-Lord Denning describes it as “the greatest constitutional document of all times”

Question 29

What were the 2 main causes of the Magna Carta?

Answer 29

-Religion
-Economics