Final answer:
The Magna Carta transformed from a charter for the nobility into a symbol of universal rights, particularly emphasizing due process and limited government, influencing modern constitutional law and the United States Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The important issue at the heart of the new interpretation of the Magna Carta by 1600 was its evolution from a document that initially protected the rights and privileges of the nobility to one that came to symbolize the rights of all English subjects, including the principle of due process and the concept of a limited government. Although the Magna Carta was created to serve the interests of the nobles in their struggles against the monarchy, its language — especially the clauses relating to due process and limitations on the king's power — was later interpreted more broadly as applying to the liberties of all free men, forming a foundational component in the development of constitutional law.
By the time of the American Revolution, English subjects, both in England and in the colonies, regarded the Magna Carta as a cornerstone of liberty. John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers also helped solidify the notion that rights such as protection of life, liberty, and property were inherent to all, which inevitably influenced the framers of the United States Constitution. Hence, the Magna Carta became a universal symbol for the protection of individual rights against arbitrary authority.