10 Facts You Should Know About the Magna Carta
3. It inspired the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights
Not only did the Magna Carta become a “springboard” for Jefferson’s revolutionary Declaration of Independence, the concepts of law as supreme (above even kings or legislative bodies) were drafted into the United States Constitution by James Monroe. The Bill of Rights, and specifically the 5th and 6th Amendments, find their heart and even their verbiage in the words of The Great Charter. Born in England in the 13th Century, the Magna Carta is arguably American as it is British.
The most unique aspect of the Magna Carta was its recognition of the “Law of the Land” as supreme, above even the king. Many of the 63 clauses dealt with matters of the legal system of England. The last few clauses provided for enforcement of the charter. Twenty-five barons were authorized by the Charter to insure that the King lived up to his signature on the document, even if it meant going to war with the Crown.
