Which of the following was a principle from the magna carta that impacted colonists' beliefs about government?
a.
the belief in freedom of religion
b.
the belief in the monarchy's right to tax
c.
the belief in the king's divine right to rule
d.
the belief that the people could force the king to obey the laws

The correct answer is: D. the belief that the people could force the king to obey the laws

Further Explanation:

Background: Prior to 1215, there was a belief in Europe and elsewhere that there were no restrictions on the King. The general belief in Europe was that Kings (and Queens) were chosen by God and were vessels for God's will on Earth. As a result, it was considered VERY poor form for someone not appointed by God to second guess someone appointed by God. King John: King John was a failed leader. John lost much of Britain's land in France and the barons of the UK were sick of his failed leadership and were no longer willing to go along with the belief that just because John was appointed by God, his bad ideas were suddenly okay. The Magna Carta: On June 15, 1215, that aforementioned group of British Barons, angry at King John I, got the Archbishop of Canterbury and King John to write a document that, through a number of clauses, articulated the new belief that the people were not always subjected to the despotic whims of the King. (Fun Fact: Nobody followed the Magna Carta and everyone went to war)The Magna Carta & the Colonies: The colonists in the United States in the 1760s and the 1770s felt that King George III was following in the steps of John and was becoming a failed leader whose whims were negatively impacting the colonies. So, they drew on the Magna Carta to assert that the King needed to follow the law. When the King was uninterested, the colonist's declared war.The Impact: After the American Revolution and the failed Articles of Confederation period, the American colonists wrote a Constitution that took directly from the Magna Carta's belief that no one was above the law and created a system in which the President and Congress were both beholden to checks by the people.

Learn More:

Checks and Balances in the American Political System: linkMore about the Magna Carta: link

Keywords:

Magna CartaAmerican RevolutionUS GovernmentChecks and BalancesAmerican Presidency