Magna Carta and Limiting Royal Power · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

The Magna Carta: A King Agrees to Follow the Law

History · Medieval Times · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What was the big new idea in the Magna Carta?

    • The king could ignore the law whenever he wanted
    • The king had to obey the law, just like everyone else
    • The barons had to obey the king with no rights at all

  2. Why were the barons angry with King John?

    • He kept raising taxes and breaking his promises
    • He let the barons choose the next king
    • He gave the barons more land than they wanted

  3. The Magna Carta was sealed in the year 1215.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. According to the Magna Carta, could King John lock up a free man just because he felt like it?

    • No, the man had a right to a fair trial first
    • Yes, the king could still do whatever he wanted
    • No, only barons were ever allowed a trial

  5. In the medieval pyramid of power, where did the rebelling barons stand?

    • At the very top, above the king
    • At the very bottom, below the peasants
    • Just below the king, above knights and peasants

  6. The Magna Carta gave every person in England the right to vote, just like in Athenian democracy.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A classmate says the Magna Carta only mattered in 1215 and has nothing to do with rights today. What is wrong with that claim?

    • The claim is correct because kings today still use the exact same rules
    • The claim is correct because the original document was destroyed in 1215
    • Its idea that rulers must obey the law became a foundation for later rights and democracy

  8. A different medieval king says, 'I make the laws, so they never apply to me.' Which Magna Carta idea does this break?

    • The idea that barons should pay more taxes
    • The idea that even the king must obey the law
    • The idea that knights should own more land
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

The Magna Carta: A King Agrees to Follow the Law W1-mt_8ShghTx0jd-s1

  1. The king had to obey the law, just like everyone else · Before 1215, kings mostly did as they pleased. The Magna Carta said the king had to follow the law too.
  2. He kept raising taxes and breaking his promises · King John kept demanding money for wars and did not keep his word, so the barons had had enough.
  3. True · King John sealed the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215.
  4. No, the man had a right to a fair trial first · The Magna Carta gave free men the right to a fair trial before punishment, even under the king.
  5. Just below the king, above knights and peasants · Barons were powerful nobles who stood just below the king in the pyramid of power.
  6. False · The Magna Carta did not create voting for everyone. It planted the idea that rulers must obey the law, which later helped shape rights and democracy.
  7. Its idea that rulers must obey the law became a foundation for later rights and democracy · The idea that leaders must follow the law spread far beyond 1215. It helped shape later rights, fair trials, and constitutions.
  8. The idea that even the king must obey the law · The Magna Carta's core idea was that no ruler, not even a king, stands above the law.
Worksheet · LightMySky