Magna Carta
Submitted by vinxxx83 on August 4, 2008
Category: History
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The Magna Carta formed the foundation of the United States. Although it was against his will, King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. This document controlled the amount of power he had over England. The main purpose of the Magna Carta was to documen laws that both the citizens and King John had to follow. These written laws influenced the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights (www.middle-ages.org, 2008).
One of the ways the U.S. Constitution was influenced by the Magna Carta is the law about cruel and unusual punishment. Law number 20 of the Magna Carta states, “A freeman shall not be amerced for a slight offense, except in accordance with the degree of the offense; and for a grave offense he shall be amerced in accordance with the gravity of the offense…” (Troutman, 1996). The 8th Amendment in the Bill of Rights simply states,” Excessive bail...