The Magna CartaOne of the most important documents of the medieval era is the "Great Charter" or Magna Carta of 1215. Signed in Runnymede, England, this document was the first to establish common law and it was the first time that a king no longer had absolute and total power. King John was known to have signed the Magna Carta, although against his wishes. He was one of England's most dubious and somewhat tyrannical monarchs and his actions led to the creation of this charter. Many events brought about and implemented by King John made people want to limit the power a king could have, especially King John. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1205, the monks secretly chose a candidate to succeed him. But when King John learned that they were doing this in secret, he refused the election of the chosen person. He then appointed his own person to testify. The pope at the time, Pope Innocent III, refused to accept John's candidate and arranged for Stephen Langton to be elected in 1207. King John was furious at their attempt to underestimate his power over the Church English and, therefore, he expelled the monks. of Canterbury who had helped Pope Innocent III make his choice, and he refused to appoint Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury. There was constant conflict between John and the English Church. Pope Innocent III responded to John's final actions by excommunicating him. When John found out, he in return began to tax the church, confiscating part of its lands and even forcing many priests to leave their parishes. After years of conflict he finally agreed that Stephen Langton should be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury and he also compensated Chur...... middle of paper ....... Works Cited "Magna Carta 1215". Lords and ladies. Lords and Ladies, Alchin, LK, September 20, 2012. Web. April 28, 2014. “Magna Carta.” History learning site. History Learning Site, Trueman, Chris, 2013. Web. April 28, 2014. “Magna Carta.” Constitutional Rights Foundation. Constitutional Rights Foundation. 2001. Internet. April 29, 2014Senator, Nina. “What is the meaning of Magna Carta? » Science live. TechMedia Network, October 17, 2012. Web. April 29, 2014. Kelly, Martin. “Why is Magna Carta considered a key document in the founding of the United States? » About.com. About.com, 2014. Web. May 1, 2014. “The Basics.” British Library. The British Library Council, nd. Internet. May 1, 2014. “Magna Carta.” History. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2014. Web 1 May 1, 2014 Martin, Victoria. “The Effects of Magna Carta on the American Government.” eHow. Demand Media, Inc, 2014. May 1 2014.