The Magna Carta was a document written in 1215 to limit the power of the king and give more rights to the barons and other noblemen. King John signed the Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms, in England on June 15, 1215. He signed it in a meadow at Runnymede in Egham, Surrey, South England. The Magna Carta consists of sixty-three articles or chapters. The Magna Carta influenced the development of the common law and many constitutional documents we see today. The Magna Carta is one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy. The Magna Carta was initially written because of disputes among Pope Innocent III, King John, and the English barons. Their conflict centered on the question of how much power the king should have. The Magna Carta required the King give up certain rights and respect certain legal procedures.