The rights of Englishmen are basic legal claims established over time, that all subjects of the English Monarch were understood to have. They included the right to trial by jury, security from unlawful entry into one’s home, and no taxation without consent. Before the American colonies became independent from Great Britain, they were subjects of the British monarchy. The American colonies had the rights of englishmen because they were under the British rule of the monarchy. The American colonies enjoyed their rights of Englishmen as subjects of the king or queen. Everyone who was a subject of the king or queen had these rights. The colonists knew and understood their rights as Englishmen. What ideas did colonists in America use when they …show more content…
The Magna Carta contains two very important ideas that helped influence the Founders of the United States. The first idea was that the government is based on a contract between the ruler and the people to be ruled. Government by contract also includes the idea that if either side breaks the contract, the contract is no longer valid. The second idea was that the government and those governed must obey the law. This idea is called the rule of law. This limits the power of the government. The American colonies were given a charter, which is a legal document, and they were by themselves on setting up their own government. Each of the thirteen colonies had their own government. In creating their government, the colonist had to do two things. One of them was trying to protect themselves from abuse of power by the British government. The other one was trying to protect themselves from abuse of power by their colonial governments. To do this, the colonists used the basic ideas of constitutional government. All colonial governments were based on natural rights, representative government, rule of law, separation of powers, and checks and balances. Natural rights were based on the idea that the purpose of government is to protect the people’s natural