English Influence on American Government

Many of the principles outlined in historical English government documents are well incorporated into the colonial and current systems of American government. The legal legacy of these documents include:

Magna Carta

• Limited power of government; and
• Gave the right to trial by jury and due process of law.

English Petition of Rights

• Guaranteed trial by jury;
• Protected against martial law;
• Protected against quartering of troops; and
• Protected private property.

English Bill of Rights

• Limited power of the monarch;
• Outlawed a standing army in peacetime;
• Ensured free elections;
• Guaranteed the right of petition; and
• Created Parliamentary checks on power.

All of these basic rights were guaranteed not only to English citizens, but also to the colonists through the charters of the Virginia Company of London.