England faced huge debts and the expense of maintaining a militia in America, after the costly Seven Years' War. The English parliament believed that the colonies should finance a significant portion of their own defense and thus in 1765 levied the first direct tax, the Stamp Act. Nearly every document, such as newspapers, legal writs, licenses, insurance policies, and even playing cards had to include a stamp proving payment of the required taxes. The colonists, like the barons, revolted against this economic control and the fact that they were never asked to vote on these taxes. It simply came down to "taxation without representation." They also disagreed with the condition that anyone who disobeyed could be tried in admiralty courts without a jury of peers. The colonists condemned the Stamp Act, and when Benjamin Franklin and others in England powerfully argued the American side Parliament quickly repealed the bill. It did not matter, just as with the barons and King James. The seed had been planted and the mindset was transforming. As John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson, "The Revolution was in the minds of people, and this was effected, from 1760 to 1775, in the course of 15 years before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington" (Jones, 1987, 24). Such Revolutionary War doctrines as habeas corpus had their foundation in the establishment of English Law during the 17th century that was originally based upon the Magna Carta. King George, as King John, had dishonored these laws, placing his welfare over the law of the land, which allowed the colonists...

Constitution were drafting their documents, they thus turned to the Magna Carta as well as other similar historic papers and individuals, such as John Locke. The Bill of Rights, and most particularly the 5th Amendment dealing with the concept of due process of law where King John promised that "[n]o free man shall be taken or imprisoned or disseized or exiled or in any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him nor send upon him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land," and the 6th Amendment of the right to an impartial jury of peers, were most notably from this document.
Thus, this demonstrates that the laws being passed and the documents being written today may have a major impact not only on present times but what is to come in the future -- perhaps centuries from now. Lawmakers should be mindful when voting on legislation, regardless of the significance of the law today, that it could over time have a greater impact than they ever considered. For example, in the long run, what will history show was the ultimate effect of pro-or con stem cell research or the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security? Time will only tell what the ultimate ramifications are. The barons who framed the Magna Carta would most likely be very surprised to see what happened to their words so many centuries after they were written.

References

Jones, P.M. 1987. How History's Great Minds Inspired the Framers. Scholastic Update. 120, 22-24.

Rosinksy, N.M. 2000. King John and the Royal English Family. Calliope. 10.8, 4

Slavicek, L.C. 2000. Feudalism in…