No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.

—— Magna Carta, Chapter 39

       This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land. …

—— Article VI, Section 2

       For over eight centuries the rights of freemen have been protected by contracts, which have limited the powers of the governing authorities to interfere with their lives, liberty and property.  This is called the “Law of the Land.”  Before the common person had these protections our ancestors were subject to the “Law of the Jungle,” which had only one rule, with several variants: “every man for himself”, “anything goes”, “survival of the strongest”, “survival of the fittest”, “kill or be killed”, “dog eat dog” or “eat or be eaten,” ad infinitum.  

       This chronology is written with a few simple criteria have these actions of governments, organizations and individuals helped or hindered the preservation and expansion of liberty?  Were these actions lawful, in accordance these contracts, or have then been in line with the Law of the Jungle, where the strong prey upon the weak?