The Magna Carta and the Constitution

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The Magna Carta and The U.S. Constitution By Teresa Diane. Muhammad March 4, 2013 The Magna Carta Doctrine was regarded as a document when it was signed by King John in England in the year 1215 (Breay, 2013). According to Kaplan (2009), The Magna Carta's purpose was to force King John to recognize the supremacy of ancient liberties, to limit his ability to raise funds, and to reassert the principle of due process. The Magna Carta laid the foundation for the United States Constitution in the establishment of developing beliefs of rights for the citizens of the Colonies from the Founding Fathers, as they felt that they were entitled to the same rights as in Great Britain. This paper will identify the three sources of concepts from the Magna Carta Doctrine that provided the basis for the United States Constitution relating to human rights, such as life, liberty and property to the Thirteen American Colonies during the American Revolution. The United States Constitution followed in the footsteps of the Magna Carta Doctrine by providing rights for the people to have a trial by jury of his or her peers. In Clause 39 of the Magna Carta it states: "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land". During this time frame, the requirement for a jury of one’s peers is probably the most famous and certainly one of the most crucial guarantees of due process in the Magna Carta Doctrine and the United States Constitution. According to Swindler (1965) the context of the time in which it was written, this clause meant that a person could present his case to members of his own class; it did not, however, mean that a

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