Primary Sources: 21 Bliss, W. H. "Calender." Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to Great Britain and Iraland. Vol.

1. London, 1893. Print. During the time when Simon De Montfort had captured both Edward I and Henry III, the pope tried to interfere on behalf of the crown, with minimal results. These actions show that the cause is too important for Simon De Montfort and his fellow barons enabled to risk serious religious consequences for the greater cause. The pope tried to nullify every document that came about during the enrapturement and force people to disaffiliate themselves with Simon De Montfort. While the popes efforts failed in the short term, we find that eventually internal friction and papal pressure make Simon De Montforts government collapse. Calendar of the Patent Rolls Preserved in the Public Record Office. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1895. Print. This document was a transcript of the original, containing much of the major happenings in England during the rule of Edward I. The text reviles that nothing much happened on a day to day basis with in England, showing that the reforms have lead to peace within England. This helps to solidify the notion that while Henry III had a chaotic reign as he was always fighting the barons, Edward I, on the contrary, had a few visitors and a few pardons every once and a while as he accepted Parliament, the Magna Carta and did not war against his barons. Many of these small events demonstrate how Edward followed the rules established by his predecessors such as those of property. Edward also allowed the notion of self defense as a justifiable excuse for murder, which seems to be a very modern concept yet it dates back to this revolutionary time. "CCCCLVI." Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III. Ed. Walter Waddington Shirley. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1866. Print. This letter from Simon De Montfort to King Henry III helps us learn more about their relationship. Although they exist in a growing political struggle, they still rely on each other to make the government function. Simon De Montfort sees that many knights from Gascon are preparing for war; this scares Simon De Montfort so he notifies King Henry III asking him for shelter upon his arrival. Simon De Montfort and King Henry III exist in a clashing yet cohesive relationship while King Henry III rebels against the Magna Carta and Simon De Montfort reinforces it.

"Corfirmatio Cartarum 1297." Index. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.constitution.org/eng/confir_cartarum.htm>. The Confirmatio Cartarum was a document that King Edward II signed in 1297 as an extension of the Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest. This document helped to establish the concept of common law, resolving gaps left by the Magna Carta and The Charter of the Forest. While building on the Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest, the Confirmatio Cartarum helped to define the properties of the parliament. The Confirmatio Cartarum also helped establish the tradition of informing people of the laws that they are governed by as they, shall be read before the people two times a year. This was an effort to inform the people of their rights. This document helped to establish the tradition of equal taxation throughout England. The parliament could now regulate the kings taxation and if they agreed upon a tax it had to be implemented equally throughout. Finally the Confirmatio Cartarum established the churchs ability and responsibility to excommunicate those who act against the charters, Magna Carta, Charter of the Forest and Confirmatio Cartarum. Charter of Liberties of Henry I, 1100. Index. Web. Oct. 16 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/hcoronation.asp> King Henry I granted this Charter when he took the throne in 1100. This action bound Henry I to some laws and set some basic guidelines for how Henry wanted England to run. This Charter is recognized to be the foundation off of which the Magna Charta was based off of. Like the Magna Charta it deals specifically with the transfer of fiefs and married women, but most importantly it lays down the idea of punishment fit for the crime.

"Charter of the Forest Essay | The Collection - Lincoln." The Collection - Lincoln |. The Collection | Art and Archaeology in Loncolnshire, June 2011. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.thecollectionlincoln.org/2011/06/614/>. The Charter of the Forest is an influential document that was a reform of the Magna Carta. The Charter of the Forest helped to establish the concept of private and public land ownership. It focused upon Henry IIIs life time as it saw King John as a bad king and therefore discounted his work. The Charter of the Forest gave all free land holders the right to keep their property and do what they wanted with it. The charter made all of King Henry IIIs land public land that any good and law-worthy man could use for their own pleasure as long as they followed the laws. Punishments for breaking hunting laws were also capped at a fine instead of losing life or a limb. The Charter of the Forest also prevented the tolling of public land by its caretakers. This made the land really open to anyone. While being based off of the Magna Carta, the Charter of the Forest helps to resolve some of the remaining issues regarding the holding of lands. Cheyney, E. P. Summones. Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History. Philadelphia: Dept. of History of the University of Pennsylvania, 1897. 33-35. Three Summonses to the Parliament of 1295. FORDHAM.EDU, Feb. 1996. Web. 2 Oct. 2011. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/ed1-summons.asp>. The set of summons found here allow for a closer look at one stage in the evolution of Parliament during King Edward Is reform of the English Government. The summons of a bishop, baron and representatives from a town allow for a more in depth view of the people that are being chosen to represent the rest of the population of England. By involving the bishops, the king and parliament are playing it safe with the pope and also keeping the church on their side for disputes. By involving the Baron, the king and parliament are keeping the nobility in power, preventing any farther disputes like those of Henry III, Edwards father and predecessor. Finally by involving a sheriff, two knights, and two elected towns people, the king and parliament are accessing the vision that was established by Simon de Montfort.

"DCXLIII." Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III. Ed. Walter Waddington Shirley. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1866. Print. DCXLIII is a letter from some of King Henry IIIs lieges, with regards to the upheaval in London that they suppressed. This shows that during this time, the common people wanted change but not violently. The letter illustrates how there was no need to fight to regain the city, but also shows that the barons who are fighting King Henry III during the onset of the second Baron War have a considerable influence on the people as well. It also shows how important London is to the English as the Lieges make a specific request for the king to send word to surrounding towns and villages to let merchants start coming back to London. "DLXXXI." Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III. Ed. Walter Waddington Shirley. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1866. Print. This letter is from Peter De Montfort to the rest of the council. This letter shows the growing power of the council and in the ruling of England as Peter De Montfort asks the council for help instead of the King Henry III. Peter De Montfort was a prominent sheriff in charge of the English-Welsh boarder and the English lands along it. In this letter he describes his troubles of a Welsh looting raid on a village and since they made some damage Peter De Montfort wants the council to have the King Henry III grant him money to rebuild some of the village. "DXLV." Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III. Ed. Walter Waddington Shirley. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, 1866. Print. DXLV is a letter that was written by Simon De Montfort and his wife three years before the second Baron War. The letter illustrates the growing tension in the relationship between Simon De Montfort and King Henry III as Simon De Montfort and his wife are going to King Louis of France for guidance instead of assistance. If King Louis is unavailable the letter goes on to illustrate a network of people that he can contact, with no mention of King Henry III. This lack of faith in King Henry III is partly the reason why war might break out.

King Henry III. Letter to Simon De Montfort and Gilbert De Clare. 1265. MS. England. This letter to Simon De Montfort and Gilbert De Clare was a direct response to a letter they sent to the king asking him for a peaceful reform to the power limitations of the king. In this letter the king denies the request and although Montfort and Clare say that they are still loyal to the king, the king calls them both out and tells them that they are traitors to the crown and that their ideas to limit his power is treason in itself. This letter was ultimately the last straw before the war of 1265 in which the barons had a short lived success followed by a crushing defeat. This letter shows that the king was set in his ways and had no intention of ever giving up any power. King John. "The Concession of England To The Pope." Letter to Pope Innocent III. 15 May 1213. MS. ENGLAND. This is the Charter Drafted by King John, and Pope Innocent III where the king signed over the kingdom of England and Ireland to the Vatican to have it returned as a sign of submission and good faith between the two powers. Ultimately this ended the kings excommunication and lead to the popes support which was important during the revolution of the Magna Carta. Leadam, I. S., and James Fosdick Baldwin. "Boistard v. Cumawell." Select Cases before the King's Council, 1243-1482. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1918. Xlvii-lix. Print. Within this case we found details of what life was like in 1243 for some free men, this helps to understand the fall out and social conditions following the reforms of the Magna Carta. The case of Boistard verses Cumbwell is an interesting case, a dispute between brothers inheritance one who lives in England and the other in France. The case illustrates English foreign relations and a few of their laws. At the same time, the case shows that the English government has a sort of judicial system in place and that there are different tiers, this being the highest as it had to do with foreign relations.

"Letters between Marguerite of Province and Henry III." Letter. 1261-1265. Epistol: Medieval Women's Letters. Columbia.edu. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. These letters reveal how childish Henry III was with respect to dealing with Simon De Montfort around and during the rebellion. Henry III used Marguerite of Provence to relay messages to Simon De Montfort for him as Marguerite was married to King Louis, Simon De Montforts traditional superior and Henry III was Marguerites brother-in-law. The network that is revealed by these letters makes things more complicated. These letters also helped to show how much trust was put into the French monarchy by Henry III as he shipped some of his treasures over to Marguerite for safe keeping during the rebellion, lead by Simon De Montfort, only a few years after England had some disputes with France. Magna Charta Index. Web. Oct 16. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/magnacarta.asp> The Magna Charta was signed in 1215 by King John Lackland. Forced onto him by Barons that were unhappy with his rule, John signed the document hoping that Pope Innocent III would revoke it. However, John and the Pope were not on good terms with each other, and John was left with a promise he had no intention of keeping. When the Barons figured this out they went to war with King John and, when they took the throne kings Henry III and Edward I. The Magna Charta granted the barons rights that protected them from the whims of their king. Among these rights was what would turn into trial by jury. The Magna Charta is recognized as the founding document in both British government and Rule of Law. The Constitution of the United States. 1787. TS. Archives.gov, Philadelphia. The United States constitution has several parts that reflect the image of the Magna Carta. First the idea of having checks and balances to limit the power of one person originated in the Magna Carta with the construction of the council of barons. This same idea is seen in the constitution when it divides the government into three parts in order to prevent a takeover from one section. The idea of a higher law that the king, or in the constitution the president, cannot break originated from the Magna Carta. The idea that the law cannot be changed is also in both documents.

Pope Innocent III. "The Papal Bull April 21." Letter to King John I. 21 April. 1214. MS. England. In this letter addressing the king and his subjects the pope actively removes the King Johns ex communication from the Catholic Church. This is important because it restores the allied relationship between John and the Pope, which is important because four months later the King asked the pope to nullify the Magna Carta. Pope Innocent III. "The Papal Bull August 24." Letter to King John I. 24 Aug. 1214. MS. England. This letter is a response to King John from Pope Innocent III on the topic of the nullification of the Magna Carta. John wrote to the Pope asking him to nullify the document, and the pope agreed to nullify it saying that the king had been forced to sign it to prevent a civil war and that it was illegal to deny the king his god given rights to rule. This letter is important because it is ultimately the document that provoked the civil wars between the barons and the kings. The Provisions of Oxford. 1258. Index Web. Oct 23, 2011. <http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=h&p=d&a=i&ID=194> In 1258, the Barons were again having trouble with the misuse of power. However in 1258 the problem was with sheriffs not the king. The Magna Charta was seen as a step in the right direction, but its rules were not specific enough. Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester took leadership in the reform movement and made The Provisions of Oxford. These rules were an idealistic view on how government should function and included the formation of a Council of 24 people, 12 chosen by the barons and 12 royally appointed, Barons to advise the king. In 1961 King Henry III received a papal bull nullifying this document. The Provisions of Westminster. 1259. Index Web. Oct 23, 2011. <http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=h&p=d&a=i&ID=242> The Provisions of Westminster were a series of laws enacted by the 24 barons appointed to be the kings council by the Provisions of Oxford. These reforms came out of a power struggle between King Henry III and his barons in what is often called the crisis of 12581265. These laws superseded the Provisions of Oxford and was based on it. In 1261, a papal bull helped Henry III nullify the Provisions leading to the Second Barons War, which was won by the king in 1267.

Provisions made at Marlborough in the presence of our lord King Henry, and Richard King of the Romans, and the Lord Edward eldest son of the said King Henry, and the Lord Ottobon, at that time legate in England 1267. Index. Web. Oct 23, 2011. <http://www.legislation.gov.uk/all?title=Statute%20of%20Marlborough> Often called The Statute of Marlborough this was a set of 29 laws that King Henry III passed as part of convincing the barons to stop fighting. Of the 29, 4 are still used today making this the oldest document of law that is still in use by the British government. These laws set down rules that established the courts as the only way to get recompense for anothers actions. Also enforced were laws about clergy, murder, juries, resisting the kings officers, charters and more. Secondary Sources: 36 Adams, G. B. Innocent III and the Great Charter. For the Royal Historical Society. 1917. An essay made partially to commemorate the seven-hundredth anniversary of the Magna Charta. This essay was written primarily to show how Pope Innocent III acted and was expected to act during the year 1215. Adams states that King John was expecting the Pope to free him of the obligations the Magna Charta gave him. He goes on to show how before the Magna Charta, King John was acting in accord with the church and was hoping for a little back up.

Aneurin. "The Concession of England to the Pope." The Concession of England to the Pope. Everything2, 19 Sept. 2004. Web. <http://everything2.com/title/The+Concession+of+England+to+the+Pope>. This article dealt with the king excommunication from the church of England. Its main focus was how the pope excommunicated King John due to a disagreement over who the arch Duke of Canterbury should be. The overall result was the pope excommunicating King John to assert his dominance over the king. John, Knowing he would eventually need the help and support of the pope made an agreement where he signed England over to the Vatican which then gave it back as a sign that he was submitting to the king. On top of the submission the king now owed the Vatican one thousand marks a year for compensation. 700 for England, and 300 for Ireland.

Baldwin, James Fosdick. "The Initial Problem." The King's Council in England during the Middle Ages. Oxford: Clarendon, 1913. 1-15. Print. The Initial Problem was a chapter that illustrated the stages of the English council/parliament. Although this chapter was strictly talking about the pre-Magna Carta kings, the focus was more on the revolutionary evolution of the English council or curia regis. These councils were a common place in feudal society with the English council being the most eloquent and best developed in Europe. Moreover, the English council had a unique feature the growth of an equitable jurisdiction apart from the common law. The English council was a system by which a king could ask the Barons for help or guidance. This chapter points out that since King John was seen as a tyrant, he acted in defiance of the general opinions of his barons. It is for this reason that they sought to establish the Magna Carta. Blaauw, William Henry. "Parliament." The Barons' War: Including the Battles of Lewes and Evesham. 2nd ed. Lewes, Printed by Baxter & Son: London: Bell and Daldy, York Street, Covent Garden, 1871. 244-55. Print. Parliament was a chapter that went into depth with regards to the formation of the English Parliament, which is important because Parliament was one of the most major reforms that followed from the Magna Carta. While serving as a broad secondary source, The Barons War also is written to fellow scholars and is therefore very thoroughly researched and full of annotations and references which will prove useful while searching for more sources, particularly primary sources. This chapter helped to describe the relationships within the Barons, Parliament and the King with the aforesaid groups. This chapter had a slight focus on Simon de Montfort as he was a major force in the creation of parliament.

Churchill, Winston S. "Magna Carta." The Birth of Britain. Vol. 2. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1956. 242-57. Print. A History of the English Speaking Peoples. Churchills chapter, Magna Carta in his book The Birth of Britain was a well written general history book about the Magna Cartas establishment. The chapter built background of the struggles within the English nobility leading to its revolutionary establishment and how it was a reform within the nobility.

Danziger, Danny, and John Gillingham. 1215: the Year of Magna Carta. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print. This book was a well written book that described much of the history of King John and problems with society that forced the Magna Carta to be drafted. The book also described the early problems with the introduction of the first document of this type, including both the popes reaction as well as King Johns. The book also outlines the most important sections of the document where the revolutionary concepts are presented. Davis, R.G. C. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." FORDHAM.EDU. British Library Publications. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/magnacarta.asp>. Davis chooses to take a slightly less glorious interpretation of the Magna Carta in this article. In the article he points out how the Magna Carta was put together by the hands of many barons through much negotiation. From this he continues to point out that many of the clauses in the Magna Carta are there to benefit the individuals that drafted it as opposed to a sense of overall well being. He claims that this selfishness comes from the fact that the economy was organized under the Feudal system at that point in time and the barons being land owners wanted to maintain the benefits of being land owners but wanted less drawbacks such as taxes. Eckhardt, Carl C. "The Papacy and World-Affairs As Reflected in the Secularization of Polotics." THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS Jan. 1937. Print. This document explained the power and the role of the Vatican and the Pope during the middle ages. By the time of the Magna Carta the pope had become the spiritual leader of the world, and had the power to settle disputes between countries. For example in the year 1199 pope innocent III ended the war between England and France. Due to the fact that the Pope had this power many kings would pay money or land to the Vatican to be favored in times of political uncertainty. Around the time of the Magna Carta king John paid the pope one thousand marks which was a large sum at the time, so that they were on good terms. This is important to the reaction of the Magna Carta because when the barons defied the popes nullification of the document they were going against the most powerful force in the world at this time.

"Featured Document: The Magna Carta." The Magna Carta. The US National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. This website gave a general overview of the Magna Carta and what its revolutionary concepts were as well as what sparked this document to be written. The website also goes into some details about how the document was greatly influential and elements of it can be seen in modern day documents like the bill of rights. "The First Barons War." TimeRef - Medieval and Middle Ages History Timelines for Adults. Medieval and Middle Ages History Timelines. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. <http://www.timeref.com/thr00029.htm>. After the Magna Carta was annulled by pope innocent III civil war was apparent among the barons and King John. Since it was clear that John would never honor the Magna Carta the barons decided to offer the throne to prince Philippe of France in return for him helping them remove John from power. In response to the barons action King John confiscated their land and gave it to people who supported him in there endeavors. In early 1216 French soldiers arrived and quickly conquered most of eastern England as well as key cities such as Winchester. This is important to the reaction of the Magna Carta. Since the king would not follow the document the barons had no choice but to go to war with him and select a new king that would abide by the charters terms and conditions. Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England: C. 550 to C. 1307. Vol. 1. London: Routledge, 1996. Print. The segment of this book that I read described the wars that the barons had with the king of England and other countries around the time of the Magna Carta. One of the important parts of the passage is the description of how Simon De Montfort rose to become the influential military leader that he was during the wars of 1265. It describes how in the battle of Lewis he won miraculously although he was largely outnumbered, and that he had god and justice before his eyes, preferring to die for the truth then violate his oath.

Green, John Richard. A Short History of the English People. New York: New York Harper & Brothers, 1896. Print. In this Selection from the book A Short History of the English People, Richard gives the reader a history of England from around 1258 up to 1265 before the war between Henry and the barons began. The sections main point is that the Charter failed to bring any compliance between the king and the barons and that the situation in England was getting worse leading to bankruptcy and civil war. He largely divides the Charter into its strengths and weaknesses, its strengths being it united the barons and limited an absolute monarchy, but its weakness being that it had no way to enforce the limitations that it set forward. Hamilton, Marci. God vs. The Gavel. Cambridge University Press, 2005. A broad source that lays down the fundamental arguments about what the government is allowed to do. In this book the primary argument Is about what common law can do against people practicing their religion. While this is not the exact idea the Magna Charta tried to settle religion and rule of law were both major players in the making of the Magna Charta, specifically does the king, who is the government, have divine right, or does he rule by consent of the people. Hill, Christopher. "A Nation of Prophets." The World Turned Upside Down; Radical Ideas during the English Revolution. New York: Viking, 1972. 70-85. Print. The chapter, "A Nation of Prophets", helps to illustrate how significant documents, such as the Magna Carta, become points of criticism. These documents are used as tools to help hold people to the written word. These texts, as seen as reform, provide a structure by which it is possible to assess the viability of laws and actions. By being printed, these texts empowered anyone who had a copy to debate the extent of a law's ability to conform to the guidance of the text. Horrox, Rosemary, W. M. Ormrod, and Peter Coss. "An Age of Deference." A Social History of England, 1200-1500. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2006. 56-60. Print. An Age of Deference helps to illustrate the conflicts in medieval society. This chapter helped to build context as to the reasons that the Magna Carta was needed as a revolutionary tool to help monitor the power of the hierarchy. The section compares the relationship between the Hierarchy and the subservient class to that of the husband and wife. While they function differently it is only customs that keep the relationship enforceable and consistent, with all relationships except that of the king, the weaker person can seek a higher authority for help. By adding a legal text that binds the power wielder, the king, to the law there is now an ability to prosecute the king.

Howard, Dick. Magna Charta Text and Commentary. University Press of Virginia, 1964. A scholarly work in which the reasons for the barons discontent, the clauses of the Magna Charta, and its later significance are outlined. Starting with the Barons annoyance at having to pay large taxes for King Richard I, and continued by King John. It goes on to give an overview of the different chapters in groups based on their importance and who they effect. In this section the reasons behind each section is also expressed. Finally it follows the influence of the Magna Charta through the ages until its brainchild, the American Constitution. Klerman, Daniel, and Paul G. Mahoney. "English Legal Exceptionalism." (2006). Web. 21 Nov. 2011. In this article Klerman and Mahoney examine the origins of the English Legal System in comparison to that of its counterpart, the French Legal System. While both systems were developed new and revolutionary systems of jurisdiction in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the French system focused more on a person of nobility and heritability to be in charge of the courts, whereas the English had a jury system that was removed from their powerful king and less touched by the higher influences. In the case of the English system of jurisdiction, the Magna Carta enforced these regulations helping to separate these two influential systems of government. Magna Carta and Its American Legacy, National Archives and records administrating, 09/15/13 http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/legacy.html The influence of the Magna Charta on the founding fathers of the United States is shown on this site. It also details the events that directly lead up to the Magna Charta. This includes a kind of draft called "Articles of the Barons. Also mentioned is how the Magna Charta may have remained legally inconsequential had it not been resurrected and reinterpreted by Sir Edward Coke in the early 17th century. In an argument regarding the hierarchy of the King and the Law. Magna Charta, History of Law 09/15/13 http://www.historyoflaw.info/magna-carta.html Saint Thomas a Becket is the main focus of this article. Thomas a Becket was scribe of the Magna Charta and the archbishop of England at the time. This site mentions that it disagrees with some commonly held theories regarding St. Becket, which means this source may not be entirely reliable. However this site focuses on the Magna Charta from a more religious view than most and therefore provides some unique insight.

Matthew Strickland, Enforcers of Magna Carta (act. 12151216), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online edn, Oxford University Press, Oct 2005; online edn, May 2007 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/93691, accessed 2 Oct 2011. Following King Johns initial agreement to the Magna Carta the barons established a parliament that consisted of 25 different barons. The barons, who held their position until death, had the job of seizing land from the king if he abused his power. Although the newly established parliament thought they had won King John made sure not to give up key strategic land points and defied the Document by secretly building an army of mercenaries to fight against the barons. Many of the mercenaries viewed him as a disgrace to all former kings. Even the pope disapproved of the Magna Carta saying that it was not only shameful and demeaning but also illegal and unjust, thereby lessening unduly and impairing his [the king's] royal rights and dignity. The Magna Carta ultimately started an era of war that followed into the next kings reign. This source shows the pressures that the king now faced from this revolution and how he reacted to this sudden change in authority. McIlwain, Charles Howard. Magna Charta and Common Law For the Royal Historical Society. 1917. McIlwain states that to truly gauge the importance of a document, other documents have to stem off the original. In this piece, he uses the confirmation of the Magna Charta issued by King Edward I in 1297. After giving a translation of some of the text, he explores how the document, Corfirmatio Cartarum, makes it clear that both the Magna Charta and the Charter of Forests are common law, and more specifically apply to everyone, not just those with rank. McKechnie, William Sharp. "Historical Sequel to Magna Carta." Magna Carta: a Commentary on the Great Charta of King John; with a Historical Introduction. Glasgow: Maclehose, 1905. 184-88. Print. This section helped to illustrate the sequence of events that helped to initialize each of the three main charters, the Magna Carta and the two that followed. By illustrating the causality, the selection showed who the revolutionary Magna Carta was handled and reformed by King Johns successors. This selection helped to show the differences in the reigns of King Henry III and King Edward I, particularly the differences in their attitude towards the Magna Carta. While Henry fought it throughout his reign, seeking for ways to enforce the freedoms it held. Edward held loyally to the Magna Carta seeking to improve it.

McKechnie, William Sharp. Magna Carta, 1215-1915 The transcript of a speech made to the royal historical society and the Magna Charta celebration committee. Though this speech McKechnie outlines the how and why the Barons were discontent with their king, John Lackland. He then follows the progress the barons made in forcing the kings hand and the moves of the king both before and after the Magna Charta was sealed. Finally McKechnie goes over why it remains significant, and he comes up with six reasons: its merits, belittling divine right, continuity with past, and with future, its reissues, and finally because it is a weapon freedom fighters have used and still can use. Mendenhall, Thomas Corwin, Basil D. Henning, and Archibald S. Foord. "Prerogative and Parliament." Preface. Ideas and Institutions in European History: 800-1715 : Select Problems in Historical Interpretation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1948. 273. Print. "Prerogative and Parliament" gives an overview of some of the relationships between the kings and Parliament. The reform that is parliament had a strained relationship with the king at many points in history. Though the preface went into more detail with the seventeenth century kings and queens, there was also friction between the House of Nobles and the House of Commons. Mendenhall, Thomas Corwin, Basil D. Henning, and Archibald S. Foord. "The Midieval Church." Ideas and Institutions in European History: 800-1715 : Select Problems in Historical Interpretation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1948. 28-30. Print. This chapter helped to build a sense of what it was like to live in the thirteenth century, during the formation of the Magna Carta. While citing many primary documents that may be of use when further analyzing the influence of the church on and during the revolutionary times. The church had a vast influence on the people as they had a monopoly in the religious world, controlling who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. This monopoly on the people spread to entire nations and was one of the major influences in the struggles between King John and his nobles, leading to the Magna Carta.

Montgomery, James. THE VATICAN CONNECTION TO ENGLAND, A CONTINUATION OF ROMAN CONQUEST. Tech. Print. In James Montgomerys Article he includes selected excerpts from letters between the king and the pope to explain the kings process of fixing his reputation with the church and then his attitudes towards the barons and his actions that led him into civil war. The author also talks about how the pope manipulated the king into sharing his power and money with the pope in order for the pope to gain more influence within England. This document includes the contract between the pope and the king for the famous payment of one thousand marks to the pope, as well as a property transfer. Ottenberg, Louis. "Magna Charta Documents: The Story of the." ABA Journal 43.6 (1947): 495+. Print. This Article was a compilation of descriptions of different documents and letters that revolved around and included the Magna Carta and its controversy. The Article included several important letters including one From the King to the Pope asking the pope for support against the Great Charter as well as a letter from the pope to all Christians calling the Magna Carta illegal and unjust. This is important to the reaction to the Magna Carta showing that even the Catholic Church stationed in Rome felt the pressure of this document and disapproved of it. Roberts, Andrew, Magna Carta's Lasting Significance for American Freedom, 09/29/10, First Principles, 09/15/13 <http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=1446> A video of a historical lecture that argues that the U.S. Constitution and bill of rights are integrally connected to the Magna Carta. This lecture states that many of the clauses in the Magna Carta were inconsequential and mundane, but those are over shadowed by the more important ones. It also states that the people of London were usually supportive of the king but in this instance sided with the barons and assisted them in taking London. It also mentions that most kings reissued their own Magna Carta to show that it was not just King John who was bound by these laws, but every monarch of England.

Roider, Nanci Lamb. "Simon De Montfort and the Baronial Crisis." Simon De Montfort and the Baronial Crisis of 1258-65. Trivium Publishing. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. <http://www.triviumpublishing.com/articles/simondemontfort.html>. Roider's article provides a detailed look at the revolts of the English Bards. After the revolutionary Magna Carta was published, there was some unease between the Bards and King Henry III, successor and son of King John. These Bards, lead by Simon de Montfort, staged many revolts, the last be the most successful, to force King Henry to respect the council proposed by the Magna Carta.These revolts helped shape the reformation of the Magna Carta, eventually giving Parliament power to reinforce and monitor the King. Round, J. H. Barons and Knights in the Great Charter. For the Royal Historical Society. 1917. An essay made to focus around the ability of the king to call for feudal assistance, wether it be financial military or other. Using chapters 2, 14 and 43 as focus points, Round shows how the Magna Charta regulated the relations between the king and his fighting force (knights and barons). He also shows how the king is restricted by chapter 14 from ordering the barons to do his bidding on a whim and at a moments notice. Rothstein, Edward. "It Was a Royal Pain, but It Ended Well." New York Times 22 May 2010: C1(L). The New York Times. Web. 25 Sep. 2011. Rothsteins article started by giving a detailed history of the revolution behind the Magna Carta before it then gave the reactions of the King, Pope, and Barons of the time, and what they thought of the document. This article includes a quote from Pope Innocent III on his view of the Magna Carta. This article also includes some of the reform that solidified the document in history and he went on to discuss how and where the Magna Carta is seen today in modern society.

Schama, Simon. "Nations." A History of Britain Nations. BBC One. Best Online Documentaries. 21 Oct. 2000. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. Simon Schama does a good job at illustrating the reign of King Edward I during his conquests across Britain. While the documentary did not focus on the Magna Carta and the other charters it helped to contextualize most of the readings. The documentary explained how the people felt towards each other and how they engaged. The most important like that the documentary discussed was the one that existed between Simon De Montfort and King Henry III along with King Edward I. Simon Schama helped to show how revolutionary Simon De Montforts efforts were and how they conflicted with King Henry IIIs plans to maintain his monarchy. Schwartz, Bernard. The 1200s Headlines in History. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, inc. As an over view of the 13th century, The 1200s Headlines in History has chapters devoted to major events during that time. This provides information regarding what was happening during the time period that affected and was affected by the Magna Charta. One of the chapters is devoted to the Magna Charta explaining that the main reason its influence has survived is because of the ideas, that is it did not actually bind the king nor was it elegantly written. This book also mentions people and other books we can look to. Shea, Marilyn. Magna Carta, 1215. 10/02/11 http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Reading_Revolutions/MagnaCarta/index.html#Top A web page that carefully goes over the many people in positions of major power regarding England immediately before the Magna Charta, with the exception of Pope Innocent III who might not have had much English power. This includes plots between Henry II and his wife Eleanor over power and succession. During the sections regarding Henry II, Thomas Becket, and Richard I, it lays out what England was like during the late 1100s. Finally during the sections about King John, Stephen Langton, and Revolt and Demands the causes and grievances which the barons forced King John to confront are laid out. Vinogradoff, P. Magna Carta, Clause 39. For the Royal Historical Society. 1917. Vinogradoff explores how the Magna Charta did originate as specific demands by the barons to forward their own self interest. While this is not new, he argues how the Magna Charta can be seen as both a document made for self interest and a big step forward in human society and how these ideas are not self conflicting. This is expressed using Chapter 39 as an example of how the Barons did not want repercussions from the king turned into the idea of trial by Jury.

Younge II, C.D. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." FORDHAM.EDU. Internet Medieval Source Book. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/mattwest1.asp>. This source includes a set of letters between King Henry II and Baron Simon De Montfort. In these letters Simon De Montfort writes to the king telling him how the subjects are still loyal to him however reform must take place to avoid violence. The King hungry for war calls Montfort a traitor and says that he will not meet with Simon De Montfort. This leads to the rebellion of 1265 in which a group of barons lead by Simon De Montfort fight King Henrys army. After initial success the first couple days the Kings army eventually kills Montfort and puts down the rebellion. This source is important because it showed that the barons believed so strongly in their cause that their reaction when the king tried to suppress their rights was to put their own lives at stake and band together to fight for what they believe in.