preview

Essay On English Bill Of Rights

Decent Essays

Citizens of the United States of America are privileged with having a republic that gives them rights that are not available all around the world. American citizens have many rights that have been given to them in the Constitution such as right to bear arms and freedom of the press. Most of these rights are spelled out in The Bill of Rights. One of the important responsibly that American citizens have is to check the government’s actions. American citizens are required to follow the law and pay taxes. Americans participate in elections every year. This however is not required, but it is an important right that Americans do have. The Constitution has taken ideas from several other governments and writing. Some of these documents are The English Bill of Rights, The Spirit of Laws, and The Federalist Papers. These documents helped shape the Constitution and how it is perceived today. …show more content…

The English Bill of Rights was put in place to stop the King’s tyranny. The English Bill of Rights gave rights to the people and to parliament. The Framers wanted to make sure that some of the rights from the English Bill of Rights was put into the Constitution. One of these would be the 8th Amendment of the Constitution which states “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.” This is almost word for word in the English Bill of Rights. This right is important because it makes sure that a judge has to give a fair ruling. It also shows the checks that people have on the government. The Framers wanted to make sure that the power stayed with the people and laws such as this one prevents the government having too much power. This keeps the judicial branch in check making sure they don’t abuse their power. Another document that The Framers used would be The Spirit of Laws by Baron de

Get Access