The Magna Carta, or "The Great Charter of the Liberties" is one of the most important historical documents in English history and serves as a philosophical basis for democratic monarchy and civil liberties. The charter was originally drafted in response to a political crisis during the reign of King John who faced opposition from the church and from a group of rebellious barons. The Magna Carta placed restrictions on the monarch and provided an important precedent in suggesting that the king, like everyone else, was subject to the laws of the land. Though the Magna Carta was nullified shortly after it was signed into law in 1215, it continued to influence the philosophies on which the English and American political systems are based.

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