Editing First Barons' War (section)

==Background==
King John in June 1215 was forced to put his seal to "The Articles of the Barons" by a group of powerful barons who were no longer willing to tolerate John's [[Invasion of Normandy by Philip II of France|failed]] [[Anglo-French War (1213-1214)|leadership]] and [[Government in Norman and Angevin England#Historical context|despotic rule]]; The King's [[Great Seal of the Realm|Great Seal]] was attached upon it on 15 June 1215. In exchange, the barons renewed their [[oaths of fealty|fealty]] to King John on 19 July 1215. A formal document to record the agreement was drafted by the royal chancery on 15 July; this was the original [[Magna Carta]]. "The law of the land" is one of the great watchwords of Magna Carta by standing in opposition to the King's mere will.

Magna Carta held clauses that theoretically noticeably reduced the authority of the King, such as Clause 61, the "security clause", which allowed a group of 25 barons to override the King at any time by means of force,{{sfn|Turner|2009|p=189}}{{sfn|Danziger|Gillingham|2004|pp=261–262}} a medieval legal process known as ''[[distraint]]'' that was normal in feudal relationships, albeit had never been applicated towards a King. After numerous months of half-hearted attempts to reach a settlement in the summer of 1215, open conflict was unleashed amongst the [[Marshal of the Army of God and the Holy Church|rebel barons' alliance]] and the [[Kingdom of England|loyalist factions]].