The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is significant for its role in establishing civil liberties, particularly the principle of limited government. By curtailing the powers of the monarchy, it laid foundational ideas about individual rights and the rule of law. Its clauses included protections against arbitrary imprisonment and established that the king was subject to the law, fostering the idea of checks and balances. While initially a response to feudal grievances, the Magna Carta's enduring legacy influenced later democratic documents, such as the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing the importance of personal freedoms and justice within governance.