The Magna Carta was first sealed by King John of England in 1215.
King John agreed to the charter at Runnymede, near the River Thames, on 15 June 1215 after a rebellion by English barons. The document addressed disputes over royal authority, taxation, and feudal rights. It was not a modern constitution or a statement of universal democracy, but it placed important limits on the king’s power.
The 1215 charter was quickly annulled by Pope Innocent III, and conflict continued in the First Barons’ War. Later kings reissued revised versions, including important editions in 1216, 1217, and 1225. The text’s influence grew over centuries as lawyers and political thinkers connected it with due process and the rule of law.
The phrase “Magna Carta” means “Great Charter.” Only four surviving copies of the 1215 version are known today.