10 Facts You Should Know About the Magna Carta
8. King John was forced to seal the Magna Carta
His rule was harsh and unpredictable and lost him the support of many people including the barons and the Catholic bishops. These two powerful groups got together and wrote a list of things they wanted the king to do, most of which were rights that they wanted him to guarantee them. John rejected these demands until the barons raised an army against him and overtook London.
This action forced John to negotiate with the barons. In June 1215 he met them in a field near London where they made him sign a document which contained their list of demands. This document was called the Articles of the Barons but an official version of it called the Magna Carta was released soon afterwards and copies were distributed throughout the kingdom.
In return for the king’s signature on the document the barons agreed to end their hostilities and renew their pledge of allegiance to him.
