Name:
Date:
from The Magna Carta
On June 15, 1215, King John of England made peace with rebellious barons by agreeing
to sign the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta contained the barons’ demands for reforms that
increased the barons’ rights and limited the king’s power. The document established the
principle that the king has to obey the law of the land. The Magna Carta became the basis for
democratic government in England. Later, in 1787, American statesmen used the democratic
principles found in the Magna Carta in writing the Constitution of the United States.
John, by the grace of God, king
of England, lord of Ireland, duke of
Normandy and Aquitaine, count of
Anjou to the archbishops, bishops,
abbots,
earls,
barons,
justiciars,
foresters, sheriffs, reeves, servants, and
all his bailiffs and his faithful people
greeting. . . .
1. In the first place we have
granted to God and by this our present
charter confirmed for us and our heirs
forever that the English church shall be
free, and shall hold its rights entire,
and her liberties inviolate… We have
granted moreover to all our free men of
our kingdom and for us and our heirs
forever all the liberties written below, to
be held by them and their heirs from us
and our heirs forever. . . .
8. No widow shall be compelled
to marry, so long as she prefers to live
without a husband; provided always
that she gives security not to marry
without our consent, if she holds of
us,*1 or without the consent of the lord
of whom she holds, if she holds of
another.
9. Neither we nor our bailiffs
shall seize any land or rent for any
debt, so long as the chattels of the
debtor are sufficient to repay the debt. .
..
14. And for holding a common
council of the kingdom concerning the
assessment of an aid [tax] . . . we shall
cause to be summoned the
archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls,
and greater barons . . . we shall cause
to be summoned by our sheriffs and
bailiffs, all others who hold of us in
chief, for a fixed date . . . and at a fixed
place; and in all letters of such
summons we will specify the reason of
the summons. And when the summons
has thus been made, the business shall
proceed on the day appointed,
according to the counsel of such as are
present, although not all who were
summoned have to come. . . .
28. No constable or other bailiff
of ours shall take corn or other
provisions from any one without
immediately tendering money therefore,
unless he can have postponement
thereof by permission of the seller. . . .
30. No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or
other person, shall take the horses or
carts of any freeman for transport duty,
against the will of the said freeman.
31. Neither we nor our bailiffs
shall take, for our castles or for any
other work of ours, wood which is not
ours, against the will of the owner of
that wood. . . .
38. No bailiff for the future shall,
upon his own unsupported complaint,
put anyone to his “law”, without
credible witness brought for this
purpose.
1
To “hold of” meant to live on land granted by the
king or by another lord.
inviolate: not broken; kept sacred
abbots: men who are head of abbeys of monks; church leaders
compelled: forced
counsel: advice or opinion
bailiffs: sheriff’s assistants
constable: police officer
chattels: pieces of property that can be moved,
provisions: supplies
such as livestock
tendering: paying for
assessment: the act of estimating how much a
postponement: a delay
property is worth in order to figure out the tax on it
39. No free man shall be taken,
or imprisoned, or dispossessed, or
outlawed, or banished, or in any way
destroyed, except by the legal judgment
of his peers or by the law of the land.
40. To no one will we sell, to no
one will we deny, or delay, right or
justice.
credible: believable
dispossessed: forced by law to give up property
peers: people of the same rank or age; equals
Think It Over:
1.
Answer the following in a complete sentence with the question restated in the sentence:
a. The Magna Carta was originally written in an earlier form of English and has been translated into
modern English. Why is it important to know whether a document has been translated?
2.
Write a paragraph that gives three examples of principles or ideas the founders of the Constitution
may have taken from the Magna Carta.
a. Your paragraph should consist of a topic/introduction sentence that restates the prompt
(highlight green). Three specific quotes/examples from the Magna Carta (highlight yellow).
Explanations of what each of those quotes/examples means or how it connects to the
Constitution (highlight pink). And a concluding sentence that restates the main idea (highlight
green).
b. Your paragraph should have at least eight sentences. Each sentence should be highlighted, and
the quotes/examples should rotate with the explanations.
Writing Quality
Follows directions
4 points
1 or no
grammatical,
spelling,
capitalization, or
punctuation
errors.
Highlighted full
sentences
according to key
provided. AND at
least 8 total
sentences
Argument
Argument is valid
and proven with
three direct
quotes/examples
from the excerpt
Paragraph Quality
1 or no
fragmented/runon sentences.
Both introduction
and conclusion
restate the main
idea.
3 points
2 points
2-4 grammatical,
spelling,
capitalization, or
punctuation
errors.
5-7 grammatical,
spelling,
capitalization, or
punctuation
errors.
Highlighted full
sentences
according to key
provided OR at
least 8 total
sentences.
Argument is valid
and proven with
fewer than three
direct
quotes/examples
from the excerpt
2-4
fragmented/runon sentences.
Both introduction
and conclusion
restate the main
idea.
1 point
8 or more
grammatical,
spelling,
capitalization, or
punctuation
errors.
0 points
No attempt given.
Highlighting errors
AND too few
sentences
Did not attempt to
highlight at all
AND too few
sentences
No attempt given.
Argument is
invalid OR fewer
than three direct
quotes/examples
provided
Argument is
invalid AND fewer
than three direct
quotes/examples
provided
No attempt given.
2-4
fragmented/runon sentences.
Either the
introduction or
the conclusion
restates the main
idea.
5 or more
fragmented/runon sentences.
Neither the
introduction nor
conclusion
restates the main
idea.
No attempt given.
Points for Question #1:
Total Points for Paragraph:
/4
/16
Total Points for Assignment:
/20