In 1772, Samuel Adams of Massachusetts (Founding member of the Sons of Liberty and second cousin of future-President John Adams) drafted a declaration of the rights of the colonists as men, as Christians, and as subjects of the British Crown. This statement of the rights to which the colonists believed they were entitled was written 4 years before the Declaration of Independence. What idea did the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights have in common that teaches no one is above law?The document said that the king must follow the laws of the land, and it became a symbol of the idea that even a king is not above the law. This is known as rule of law; everyone has to follow it. 6. One important idea in the Magna Carta is that of limited monarchy.
What was the purpose of the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights?The Parliament then went on to pass the English Bill of Rights in 1689 which, like Magna Carta, laid out rules restricting the power of the monarch and protecting the individual rights of the people.
What did the English Bill of Rights and Magna Carta do to protect the people from their king?Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. It sought to prevent the king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by establishing law as a power in itself.
How did the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights influence the colonists decision to declare their independence?The Magna Carta came to represent the idea that the people can assert their rights against an oppressive ruler and that the power of government can be limited to protect those rights. These concepts were clearly foundational and central to both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
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