US Constitution

The journey from the Magna Carta to the U.S. Constitution represents a shift from a king’s absolute rule to a government "by the people." Adding the Mayflower Compact bridges the gap between old-world English law and the first practical experiments in American self-rule. 

1. Magna Carta (1215): The Root of Law

The Magna Carta established that the monarch was not above the law. 

• Key Contribution: It introduced due process and the idea that government power must be limited. Without it, the concept of a written constitution protecting citizens from the state would not exist. 

2. The Mayflower Compact (1620): The Social Contract 

While the Magna Carta limited a king, the Mayflower Compact was the first document in the New World to establish government based on the consent of the governed. 

• The Shift: Unlike English law, which flowed from a monarch down to subjects, the Compact was a "horizontal" agreement where individuals pledged to each other to create "just and equal laws".
• Impact: It is often called America’s "first constitution" because it proved that a community could govern itself through a written social contract. 

3. English Bill of Rights (1689): Defining Rights

Following the Glorious Revolution, this document further stripped power from the crown and gave it to Parliament. 

• Connection: It provided the specific language for the U.S. Bill of Rights, including protections against cruel and unusual punishment and the right to bear arms. 

4. The U.S. Constitution (1787): The Modern Framework

The Framers combined these historical layers into a single federal system. 

• Popular Sovereignty: Derived from the Mayflower Compact’s "consent," the Constitution begins with "We the People" to signal that power resides in the citizenry, not a ruler.
• Rule of Law: Derived from the Magna Carta, ensuring that the Constitution is the "Supreme law of the land"