Final answer:
The English Bill of Rights significantly influenced the colonists' views on government by reinforcing their belief in self-governance, representation in legislation, and the importance of consent to taxation. Their experiences in the colonies cultivated an expectation that their rights to life, liberty, and property should be protected, which became bedrock principles in the formation of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of the English Bill of Rights on the colonists' views of government was significant in shaping the American ideals of governance and the principles that eventually influenced the U.S. Constitution. This document, passed in 1689, played a key role in establishing the concept of a constitutional monarchy and asserted the rights and liberties of English subjects, which the American colonists considered themselves to be. They argued that since they were not represented in the British Parliament, they should not be subject to its laws and taxes, particularly those deemed objectionable. The colonists put a high value on self-governance, which was reinforced by their experiences with colonial assemblies and the often-accommodating governors sent from England.
The principles enshrined in the English Bill of Rights such as the rights to life, liberty, and property, the requirement of mutual consent to taxation, and safeguards like trial by jury and habeas corpus, deeply influenced the colonists' expectations of their own government. Central to their discontent was the contention that, without direct representation in Parliament, the imposition of taxes was a violation of their rights as English citizens. These beliefs were pivotal in the lead-up to the American Revolution and in the crafting of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights to ensure protections against government overreach.
The English Bill of Rights not only established rights for English citizens but also set forth the principle that the king and Parliament must not deprive subjects of their liberties without just cause, a notion that became a cornerstone of American political thought.