B. The Magna Carta established the idea that British citizens had basic rights that could not be taken away. The Magna Carta (1215) asserted noblemen's rights in relationship to the king. It set the principle of rights which would later be expanded. The document not only had an influence on the future of British politics, but constitutional rights in the United States as well. For example, the Magna Carta guaranteed a free man should not suffer punishment without “the lawful judgment of his peers.” The opening lines of the 6th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, influenced by the Magna Carta, affirm that "in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed."
