Which English charter, sealed in 1215, limited royal power and protected the rights of free men?

Which English charter, sealed in 1215, limited royal power and protected the rights of free men?

• A. Magna Carta
• B. Edict of Nantes
• C. Petition of Right
• D. Charter of the Forest

Answer: (A)

This question tests the idea that royal authority can be limited by law. Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede in 1215, did just that: it required the king to operate within established boundaries and to respect the rights of free men. It introduced the principle of due process, ensuring no one could be imprisoned or punished without lawful judgment and that taxes and other demands needed broader consent. While it didn’t establish a modern democracy, it set the enduring idea that the ruler is bound by the law and that liberties under the law deserve protection, a foundation later built upon in England’s constitutional development. By contrast, the Edict of Nantes is a French document granting religious toleration, the Petition of Right comes later (not 1215) and revisits royal prerogatives, and the Charter of the Forest focuses on forest rights rather than general liberties. So Magna Carta is the correct charter.

This question tests the idea that royal authority can be limited by law. Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede in 1215, did just that: it required the king to operate within established boundaries and to respect the rights of free men. It introduced the principle of due process, ensuring no one could be imprisoned or punished without lawful judgment and that taxes and other demands needed broader consent. While it didn’t establish a modern democracy, it set the enduring idea that the ruler is bound by the law and that liberties under the law deserve protection, a foundation later built upon in England’s constitutional development. By contrast, the Edict of Nantes is a French document granting religious toleration, the Petition of Right comes later (not 1215) and revisits royal prerogatives, and the Charter of the Forest focuses on forest rights rather than general liberties. So Magna Carta is the correct charter.