Question

What was the primary idea or principle conveyed by the Magna Carta?

A) The colonies were independent of Great Britain.
B) Independent states should have a national form of government.
C) Everyone, including the king, was subject to the law.
D) People are entitled to "certain unalienable rights."

Answer 1

The Magna Carta established the principle that everyone is subject to the law, including the king, which is a foundational concept of due process and trial by jury in Western legal systems.

Step-by-step explanation:

The primary idea or principle conveyed by the Magna Carta was that everyone, including the king, was subject to the law.

This concept is often referred to as the rule of law and helped establish the due process in legal proceedings. One of the most famous clauses from the Magna Carta promises that "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 contributed to the development of the legal system in the West, especially with regard to the right to a trial by jury. What the Magna Carta set forth was a cornerstone of liberty for English subjects, an idea which later influenced the founding documents of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.