Middle+Ages+Documents


 * [[image:http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Images/DBImages/6170/617096w.jpg align="top" caption="Title: Magna Carta"]] ||
 * King John of England was a power-hungry ruler who did what he wanted and angered many other emperors. He opposed the pope, Innocent 3, when Innocent chose a new archbishop of Canterbury. This infuriated the pope, so he exocommunicated King John. Pope Innocent also put England under the interdict, which meant that no one in the entire city could under go sacraments or a traditional Christian burial ceremony. After John apologized to Innocent and got his crown back, he decided to increase taxes and annoy the public. A group of nobles decided to force him to sign a document called a Magna Carta, which means “Great Charter”. This Magna Carta gave townspeople new rights, and made new laws about giving out taxes. This document also required the king to follow all of the laws, and gave the emperor less power. The Magna Carta is written in latin, and it is similar to the United States of America’s Bill of Rights because it contains 63 amendments. The amendments in the Magna Carta are called clauses. In clauses 14 and 12, it says that kings must have a group of nobles to verify laws and taxes that this emperor would like to pass. ||
 * //Magna Carta//. 1215. King John of England. //ABC Clio: World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras//. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. . ||