Years That Changed History: 1215

History buffs likely know that the Magna Carta was drafted in 1215, and that it helped establish English law as we know it. But what was actually in this document? And why was it created in the first place? Here, you'll discover the surprisingly narrowly focused origins of a short-lived document that seemed, at the time, like a minor footnote in history.

Continue your study of the Magna Carta by investigating some of its most interesting clauses. As you learned in the previous episode, the document was meant to appease a group of nobles, and the negotiated settlement is a delightful mix of grand pronouncements and specific requests - including that widows shall not be compelled to remarry.

Although the Magna Carta is revered today as a founding document of British law and a democratic sensibility, it's stunning to reflect on how easily it could have been forgotten. Shortly after it was officially accepted by both king and nobles, the pope annulled the document; yet that isn't the end of the story. Here, trace the Magna Carta's story across the ages.

If you went back in time and asked anyone in 1215 what the most important event of the year was, most people in Europe would cite the Fourth Lateran Council. In this episode, Professor Armstrong surveys the history of Christianity and the events leading up to this pivotal ecclesiastical event.

Delve into the canons that were decreed at the Fourth Lateran Council. Find out what Church leaders were trying to accomplish, or what crises they were attempting to address. From heresies to marriage to the nature of the priesthood, the Fourth Lateran Council took on issues that affected nearly everyone in Europe.

Continue your study of the Fourth Lateran Council with this examination of the "canons of persecution." Whereas the canons you studied earlier primarily affected Christians, the canons in this episode were directed specifically at non-Christians (particularly Muslims and Jews). After exploring these persecution canons, consider the background for the Crusades.

Shift your attention from Europe to the Americas, where a number of civilizations were thriving in 1215. Although no single episode could do justice to all of these civilizations, Professor Armstrong spotlights the Pueblo people, the Incas, and the Maya, providing a solid foundation for what was happening on the American continents at the time.

Africa in 1215 was home to a number of fascinating civilizations, including the Mali Empire, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, and the Ethiopian Empire. Travel to Sub-Saharan Africa to review the history leading up to these great civilizations, meet some of the major figures, and explore some of their great feats, from mining to dry-stone engineering.

A few episodes ago, you studied the "persecution canons" of the Fourth Lateran Council and saw the tense relationship between the Church and non-Christians. Here, Professor Armstrong unpacks the background to the Crusades, beginning with Pope Urban II's 1095 call for Christians to take the Holy Land back from the Muslims.