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Which parts of the English Bill of Rights do you think the Framers might have included in our Constitution? Explain your answers.

User RSM
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Final answer:

The Framers likely included parts of the English Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution that pertained to the right to bear arms, protections against quartering troops, trial by jury, and protection against excessive fines and cruel punishment. These reflected English common law and guarded against government overreach based on their experience under British rule.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Framers of the American Constitution drew inspiration from the English Bill of Rights in various ways. When the Constitutional Congress discussed adding a Bill of Rights, many of the English liberties were considered essential and thus were incorporated into what became the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It is likely that the Framers included protections such as the right to bear arms (Second Amendment), the right against quartering of troops in private homes (Third Amendment), the right to a trial by jury (Sixth and Seventh Amendments), and protections against excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment (Eighth Amendment) because these reflected a long-standing tradition of English common law, were widely regarded as fundamental rights, and individual liberties deemed necessary to protect against governmental overreach.

Furthermore, the protections for the accused found in the Bill of Rights, such as the right to a fair trial and due process, are a direct response to the colonial experience of perceived unjust treatment under British rule. Hence, providing fair and just treatment to everyone accused of a crime was a high priority. These provisions align well with the values and experiences that shaped the Framers' worldview and their intentions for a just society protected from government excess.

User Mcheshier
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