John Lackland was born on this day 846 years ago, the fifth and youngest son of King Henry II of England. Three of his brothers died young, and the fourth, Richard the Lionheart, became king in 1189. The following year Richard set out for Europe en route to the Holy Land as one of the leaders of the Third Crusade. During Richard’s absence John tried unsuccessfully to seize power, but when Richard died in 1199 John succeeded to the throne.
Much of John’s reign was characterised by expensive military campaigns in France, in an effort to retain control of his possessions there, and after suffering a defeat in France in 1214 he returned to England only to face a revolt by his barons who were unhappy with how he treated them and how much tax he charged. Under duress, John met with the barons and signed a peace agreement which later became known as the Magna Carta.
Although neither John nor the barons honoured the terms of the Magna Carta, and his struggles continued until his death from dysentery in 1216. The Magna Carta went on to become a key source in English law of the freedom of individuals against arbitrary actions of the State. Some clauses from an amended version entitled The Great Carter of the Liberties of England and of the Liberties of the Forest, which was enacted in 1297, are still in force today.