The Magna Carta was drafted in 1215 by Archbishop Stephen Langton and rebel barons to limit King John's power in England. It established that the king was not above the law and guaranteed certain legal rights for freemen. The document was signed by King John at Runnymede to acknowledge restrictions on royal power and protect customary rights and liberties. The Magna Carta became an important symbol of liberty and one of the great milestones in the long historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law.