Final answer:
The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is responsible for the concepts that the U.S. Constitution should be considered the highest law of the land and that all citizens are entitled to due process of law. These ideas influenced the foundation of the U.S. legal system, particularly the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concepts that the U.S. Constitution should be considered the highest law of the land and that all citizens are entitled to the due process of law came from a) the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter, significantly influenced the United States Constitution, especially in the areas of due process and the rule of law.
One of its most famous clauses states, "No freemen shall be taken, imprisoned... or in any way destroyed... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land." This clause is foundational to the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ensuring that individuals cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without proper legal procedures.
The concept of due process was codified by the Magna Carta in 1215 when English nobles forced King John to sign the document. The principles enshrined in the Magna Carta were eventually adopted by the United States in its own Constitution, emphasizing that even the sovereign is subject to the law and establishing a system of checks and balances within the government.