Magna Carta was the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today. It is an English charter originally issued in 1215, and was originally created because of disagreements between the Pope, King John and his English barons over the rights of the King. Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by his subjects in an attempt to limit his powers by law.

In practice, Magna Carta did not greatly limit the power of the King in the Middle Ages; but by the time of the English Civil War however it had become an important symbol for those who wished to show that the King was bound by the law.

Magna Carta influenced the development of the common law and many constitutional documents, such as the United States Constitution. This is a translation from the original Latin.

Audiobook Music: performed by Ceili Moss.
AudioBook Artwork: John of England signs Magna Carta. Illustration from Cassell's History of England (1902)

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