What historical document placed the king under the law for the first time in English history?

The Magna Carta is significant in legal history as it was the first document to officially place the king under the law in England. Signed in 1215, it was a response to the tyrannical rule of King John and established the principle that everyone, including the monarch, is subject to the law. This was a groundbreaking shift from the absolute power that kings previously held, marking a crucial step towards constitutional governance. The Magna Carta set the foundation for the development of future legal documents and constitutional frameworks, influencing not only English law but also the legal systems in various other nations, including the United States.

The other options, while important in their own right, do not represent the same fundamental shift in governance. The Petition of Right was enacted later in 1628 and aimed to limit the king's powers concerning taxation and arbitrary imprisonment but was not the first to establish the concept of the rule of law over the monarch. The Bill of Rights and the English Declaration of Rights came even later, further refining the limits of royal power and expanding civil liberties, but they did not initiate the principle itself. The Magna Carta stands out as the original catalyst for establishing that no one, not even the king, is above the law.