Question

How did the signing of the Magna Carta affect the lives of ordinary townspeople of the 13th century?

It allowed them the opportunity to run for office and be elected by their peers.
It limited the power of the king to tax them and granted people jury trials before punishment.
It offered them representation through assemblies of peasants who could advise the king.
It provided the same rights to ordinary townspeople as those held by barons, lords, and other wealthy noblemen.

Answer 1

the correct answer is B

Answer 2

2. It limited the power of the king to tax them and granted people jury trials before punishment.

The Magna Carta (June, 1215) was a charter of rights written by the Archbishop Stephen Langton and by some Barons of England that aimed to establish a more powerful parliament and to reduce the power of King John, whose rule was perceived as abusive especially toward people and in his imposition of high levies, even in the absence of war.

The document stated that the king could not impose taxes without the approval of the “common counsel” of the Kingdom, although it gave him a few exceptions to levy reasonable taxes; it established that everyone, including the king, was subject to the law and it granted people the right to a trial by jury before punishment (arrest, exile, imprisonment, etc.).