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 justiciar 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?

A. Freedom of speech

B. Freedom of religion

C. Right to bear arms

D. Rights of merchants to safe conduct and trade

Answer 1

The passage from the Magna Carta refers to improving the Rights of merchants to safe conduct and trade, contributing to the principle that all, including monarchs, are subject to the law.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the passage from the Magna Carta, the basic rights that were improved by the English barons are the Rights of merchants to safe conduct and trade. The Magna Carta of 1215 is a foundational document in English legal history that laid the groundwork for the idea that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law. Among its provisions, the Magna Carta codified the principles of due process and established protections for life, liberty, and property.

It also set a precedent for the trial by jury system, which is integral to the judicial system in the West today. The specific passage addresses the rights of merchants, confirming their freedom to conduct business safely and according to traditional customs, with exceptions only in times of war.