Government in the Middle Ages
...e lord, no lord without the land." The system became outdated in the 1400s. King John and the Magna Carta When John Hancock wrote the Constitution, it seemed like a new idea. But it actually was fashioned after the Magna Carta, written over 500 years before. "Magna Carta" means "great charter" (written document) in Latin, and a great charter it was. King John became king of England in 1199 when his brother, Richard the Lion-Hearted died. Within five years, he lost nearly all of his power in France after he lost control over the barons. Pope Innocent III wasn't hot on his ideas, either. He placed England in an interdict, which prohibits church services. He excommunicated King John the next year . He was also taxing the lords excessively, and a crisis broke out in May 1215. To compensate with the barons, the Magna Carta was written and signed on June 12, 1215. It was an out-of-order assortment of 63 laws, and about half of them were written to please the conflicts. It also increased the power of the church. It was re-written three times and was the start of democracy. Economic Recovery In the Dark Ages, constant attacks from Barbarian tribes made any form of economy very difficult because of the unsettled conditions. After that, many factors helped to improve the economy. The increase in temperature -- about a half-degree -- was enough to make a considerable increase in fa...