Final answer:
The English nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. They wanted to reaffirm and expand the basic rights of commoners and protect their own rights as vassals. The Magna Carta established principles such as trial by jury and due process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The English nobles forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. They wanted to reaffirm and expand the basic rights of commoners, protect their own rights as vassals, and limit the monarch's power over them and the church. The Magna Carta established principles such as trial by jury and due process, which became foundational to the development of representative government and the protection of individual liberties.