Final answer:
The Magna Carta's principles of limited government, due process, and 'no taxation without representation' deeply influenced the colonists' views on government and their demands for rights, directly shaping the U.S. Constitution and the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of the Magna Carta on the colonists' views of government was profound and far-reaching. Recognized as a cornerstone of liberty, the Magna Carta introduced the idea that monarchs were not absolute in their rule and were bound to the law. It established the core principles of limited government, due process, and the protection of life, liberty, and property, which were directly reflected in the structure of American government and the U.S. Constitution. It also affirmed the right of citizens to have a say in taxation through representation, something the colonists felt they lacked under British rule, leading to the principle of 'no taxation without representation' that became central to the American Revolution.
The document directly influenced the Fifth and Sixth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the right to a trial by jury and lawful judgment of peers. Furthermore, the idea of popular sovereignty expressed in the Magna Carta was echoed in the Declaration of Independence, where the colonists asserted their rights as English citizens to be governed under the principles it outlined.