Magna Carta and First Barons’ War (1215-1217)

• Q: What was the Magna Carta?

  A charter signed in 1215 that limited King John’s power and established the principle that the king must follow the law.
• Why was the Magna Carta created?

  Barons were angry about King John’s heavy taxes, abuse of power, and arbitrary rule.
• What was the First Barons’ War?

  A civil war between King John and rebel barons after John refused to honor the Magna Carta.
• What happened after King John died?

  His son, Henry III, became king, and the war ended with the reissuing of a modified Magna Carta in 1217.