Question

All merchants, unless they have been previously and publicly forbidden, are to have safe and secure conduct in leaving and coming to England and in staying and going through England both by land and by water to buy and to sell, without any evil exactions, according to the ancient and right customs, save in time of war, and if they should be from a land at war against us and be found in our land at the beginning of the war, they are to be attached without damage to their bodies or goods until it is established by us or our chief justice in what way the merchants of our land are treated who at such a time are found in the land that is at war with us, and if our merchants are safe there, the other merchants are to be safe in our land. Magna Carta, 1297

Based on this passage from the Magna Carta, which basic rights were improved by the English barons?

Answer 1

The Magna Carta improved several basic rights, including the protection of free men from unjust imprisonment and the establishment of safe and secure conduct for merchants.

Step-by-step explanation:

The English barons improved several basic rights through the Magna Carta, which was signed by King John in 1215. One of the most important rights protected by the Magna Carta was that no free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, except by the lawful judgment of his equals. This established the precedent for trial by jury. Additionally, the Magna Carta ensured safe and secure conduct for merchants, both domestically and internationally, without any exactions or harm to their bodies or goods.