How did Magna Carta influence the laws of England’s North American colonies?

The Magna Carta profoundly influenced the legal frameworks of England’s North American colonies by serving as a foundational symbol of liberty and a defense against oppression.1

Rather than relying on the specific feudal details of the 1215 document, colonial lawmakers drew upon the charter's general principles—particularly those regarding the rule of law and the protection of individual rights—to shape their own fundamental laws during the 17th century.12

The most significant influence was the concept of due process, which traces its ancestry to Clause 39 of the original charter. This clause, which mandates that no free man be imprisoned or deprived of rights except by the lawful judgment of his peers or the law of the land, became a cornerstone of Anglo-American jurisprudence. By incorporating these ideals, the colonies established a precedent that the sovereign is subject to the law, a principle that later inspired the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.123