The correct answer is: It provided precedents and legal principles that colonial courts used to resolve disputes.
Evidence supporting this includes the fact that when the American colonies were established, they inherited the English legal system, including its principles and common law traditions. Colonial courts often looked to English common law for guidance, using established precedents to resolve legal disputes. Even after independence, many elements of English common law remained embedded in the American legal system, influencing the development of federal and state laws. The emphasis on case law and the doctrine of precedent continues to be a hallmark of American jurisprudence today.