### The Magna Carta: The Origins of Limited Government in English Culture

The United States did not invent the idea of limited government. In fact, when the English colonists came to America 400 years ago, they brought the idea with them from England. Since the 13th Century, England has had limited government. It all started in 1225, when the King of England thought he could do anything he wanted. He took away people's land. He took away farmers' crops without paying them. He even put people in jail without a trial. This made some English people angry. They fought against the King and won. Once they had beaten him, they forced him to sign a document called the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was a promise that he would never do those things again. It said what the King could do, and what he could not do. It put limits on his powers. In that sense, the Magna Carta was just like the U.S. Constitution. It even made some of the same promises.

Read these excerpts from the Magna Carta and label them:

1. Which ones guarantee a right to life?
2. Which ones guarantee a right to liberty?
3. Which ones guarantee a right to property?
4. Explain each one in your own words. Tell what protections each one offered the people and what limits they placed on the King.
5. Finally, tell how the Magna Carta is similar to the Constitution of the United States.