On June 15, 1215, King John II of England met with several nobles at Runnymede to sign a document that would forever alter the relationship between government and the governed.  While only a select few individuals received any rights directly from Magna Carta, the symbolism behind this agreement was profound enough to transform the course of history for the English-speaking world over the next eight centuries. Prior to the signing of Magna Carta, an English king's rule was absolute and was not subject to any limitations whatsoever.  However, King John created a crisis in the fall of 1214 when the king attempted to invade France and suffered a spectacular defeat.  Furious at the defeat and the destruction of England's armies, the nobles enlisted the help of the archbishop of Canterbury to force the king into an agreement by which his power would be limited[1]: Although in the final scene of the struggle the Archbishop showed himself...(Read Full Article)