The Magna Carta versus the Bill of Rights

Introduction

Even though the American Revolution created a country that was entirely new, the new country's legal code was based on very old traditions.  The laws established in the U.S. Constitution, and its Bill of Rights specifically, are rooted in England's very old and very important legal documents.  Two of the documents that were critical in developing our Bill of Rights were the Magna Carta of 1215 and the English Bill of Rights of 1688 (which we will learn about later).  In this activity you will read selections from the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights to discover how our Constitution was influenced by medieval English law.

Source: The National Archives, https://www.docsteach.org/activities/printactivity/magna-carta-v-bill-of-rights
This work is in the Public Domain.