Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation (1777)

To all to whom these Presents shall come, we, the undersigned, Delegates of the States affixed
to our Names, send greeting: Whereas the Delegates of the United States of America in
Congress assembled, did on the fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one
thousand seven hundred and seventy seven, and in the second year of the Independence of
America, agree to certain articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the states of
New Hampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Georgia, in the words following, viz. Articles of Confederation and perpetual
Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Article I. The stile of this confederacy shall be, “The United States of America.”

Article II. Each State retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power,
jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation, expressly delegated to the United
States, in Congress assembled.

Article III. The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each
other, for their common defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general
welfare, binding them-selves to assist each other against all force offered to, or attacks made
upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence
whatever.

Article IV. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among
the people of the different States in this union, the free inhabitants of each of these States,
paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and
immunities of free citizens in the several States; and the people of each State shall have free
ingress and regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of
trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions, as the
inhabitants thereof respectively; provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to
prevent the removal of property imported into any State, to any other State, of which the
owner is an inhabitant; provided also, that no imposition, duties, or restriction, shall be laid
by any State on the property of the United States, or either of them.

If any person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other high misdemeanor in any
State, shall flee from justice, and be found in any of the united States, he shall, upon demand
of the governor or executive power of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, and re-
moved to the State having jurisdiction of his offence.

Full faith and credit shall be given, in each of these States, to the records, acts, and judicial
proceedings of the courts and magistrates of every other State.

Article V. For the more convenient management of the general interests of the united States,
delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner as the legislature of each State shall
direct, to meet in Congress on the first Monday in November, in every year, with a power

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reserved to each State to recall its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and
to send others in their stead, for the remainder of the year.

No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor by more than Seven Members;
and no person shall be capable of being delegate for more than three years, in any term of Six
years; nor shall any person, being a delegate, be capable of holding any office under the
united States, for which he, or another for his benefit, receives any salary, fees, or emolument
of any kind.

Each State shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the States, and while they act as
members of the committee of the States.

In determining questions in the united States in Congress assembled, each State shall have
one vote.

Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not be impeached or questioned in any Court
or place out of Congress; and the members of Congress shall be protected in their persons
from arrests and imprisonments during the time of their going to and from, and attendance
on, Congress, except for treason, felony or breach of the peace.

Article VI. No State, without the consent of the united States, in congress assembled, shall
send any embassy to, or receive any embassy from, or enter into any conference, agreement,
alliance, or treaty, with any King, prince or State; nor shall any person holding any office of
profit or trust under the united States, or any of them, accept of any present, emolument,
office, or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign State; nor shall the
united States, in congress assembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility.

No two or more States shall enter into any treaty, confederation, or alliance whatever,
between them, without the consent of the united States, in Congress assembled, specifying
accurately the purposes for which the same is to be entered into, and how long it shall
continue.

No State shall lay any imposts or duties, which may interfere with any stipulations in treaties,
entered into by the united States, in congress assembled, with any king, prince, or State, in
pursuance of any treaties already proposed by congress to the courts of France and Spain.

No vessels of war shall be kept up in time of peace, by any State, except such number only as
shall be deemed necessary by the united States, in congress assembled, for the defence of
such State, or its trade; nor shall any body of forces be kept up, by any State, in time of peace,
except such number only as, in the judgment of the united States, in congress assembled,
shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary for the defence of such State; but
every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed
and accounted, and shall provide and constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due
number of field-pieces and tents, and a proper quantity of arms, ammunition, and camp
equipage.

No State shall engage in any war without the consent of the united States, in congress
assembled, unless such State be actually invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain
advice of a resolution being formed by some nation of Indians to invade such State, and the
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danger is so imminent as not to admit of a delay till the united States, in congress assembled,
can be consulted; nor shall any State grant commissions to any ships or vessels of war, nor
letters of marque or reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the united States, in
congress assembled, and then only against the kingdom or State, and the subjects thereof,
against which war has been so declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by
the united States, in congress assembled, unless such State be infested by pirates, in which
case vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion, and kept so long as the danger shall
continue, or until the united States, in congress assembled, shall determine otherwise.

Article VII. When land forces are raised by any State, for the common defence, all officers of
or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each State respectively by
whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such State shall direct, and all
vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made appointment.

Article VIII. All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the
common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the united States, in congress assembled,
shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several States, in
proportion to the value of all land within each State, granted to, or surveyed for, any person,
as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated, according to
such mode as the united States, in congress assembled, shall, from time to time, direct and
appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and
direction of the legislatures of the several States, within the time agreed upon by the united
States, in congress assembled.

Article IX. The united States, in congress assembled, shall have the sole and exclusive right
and power of determining on peace and war, except in the cases mentioned in the sixth
Article, of sending and receiving ambassadors; entering into treaties and alliances, provided
that no treaty of commerce shall be made, whereby the legislative power of the respective
States shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners, as their own
people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any species of
goods or commodities whatsoever; of establishing rules for deciding, in all cases, what
captures on land or water shall be legal, and in what manner prizes taken by land or naval
forces in the service of the united Sates, shall be divided or appropriated; of granting letters of
marque and reprisal in times of peace; appointing courts for the trial of piracies and felonies
committed on the high seas; and establishing courts; for receiving and determining finally
appeals in all cases of captures; provided that no member of congress shall be appointed a
judge of any of the said courts.

The united States, in congress assembled, shall also be the last resort on appeal, in all
disputes and differences now subsisting, or that hereafter may arise between two or more
States concerning boundary, jurisdiction, or any other cause whatever; which authority shall
always be exercised in the manner following. Whenever the legislative or executive authority,
or lawful agent of any State in controversy with another, shall present a petition to congress,
stating the matter in question, and praying for a hearing, notice thereof shall be given, by
order of congress, to the legislative or executive authority of the other State in controversy,
and a day assigned for the appearance of the parties by their lawful agents, who shall then be
directed to appoint, by joint consent, commissioners or judges to constitute a court for
hearing and determining the matter in question: but if they cannot agree, congress shall name
three persons out of each of the united States, and from the list of such persons each party
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shall alternately strike out one, the petitioners beginning, until the number shall be reduced
to thirteen; and from that number not less than seven, nor more than nine names, as congress
shall direct, shall, in the presence of congress, be drawn out by lot, and the persons whose
names shall be so drawn, or any five of them, shall be commissioners or judges, to hear and
finally determine the controversy, so always as a major part of the judges, who shall hear the
cause, shall agree in the determination: and if either party shall neglect to attend at the day
appointed, without showing reasons which congress shall judge sufficient, or being present,
shall refuse to strike, the congress shall proceed to nominate three persons out of each State,
and the secretary of congress shall strike in behalf of such party absent or refusing; and the
judgment and sentence of the court, to be appointed in the manner before prescribed, shall be
final and conclusive; and if any of the parties shall refuse to submit to the authority of such
court, or to appear or defend their claim or cause, the court shall nevertheless proceed to
pronounce sentence, or judgment, which shall in like manner be final and decisive; the
judgment or sentence and other proceedings being in either case transmitted to congress, and
lodged among the acts of congress, for the security of the parties concerned: provided that
every commissioner, before he sits in judgment, shall take an oath to be administered by one
of the judges of the Supreme or Superior court of the State where the cause shall be tried,
“well and truly to hear and determine the matter in question, according to the best of his
judgment, without favour, affection, or hope of reward: “Provided, also, that no State shall be
deprived of territory for the benefit of the united States.

All controversies concerning the private right of soil claimed under different grants of two or
more States, whose jurisdictions as they may respect such lands, and the States which passed
such grants are adjusted, the said grants or either of them being at the same time claimed to
have originated antecedent to such settlement of jurisdiction, shall, on the petition of either
party to the congress of the united States, be finally determined, as near as may be, in the
same manner as is before prescribed for deciding disputes respecting territorial jurisdiction
between different States.

The united States, in congress assembled, shall also have the sole and exclusive right and
power of regulating the alloy and value of coin struck by their own authority, or by that of the
respective States fixing the standard of weights and measures throughout the united States;
regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians, not members of any of the
States; provided that the legislative right of any State, within its own limits, be not in-fringed
or violated; establishing and regulating post-offices from one State to another, throughout all
the United States, and exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same, as may
be requisite to defray the expenses of the said office; appointing all officers of the land forces
in the service of the united States, excepting regimental officers; appointing all the officers of
the naval forces, and commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the united States;
making rules for the government and regulation of the said land and naval forces, and
directing their operations.

The united States, in congress assembled, shall have authority to appoint a committee, to sit
in the recess of congress, to be denominated, “A Committee of the States,” and to consist of
one delegate from each State; and to appoint such other committees and civil officers as may
be necessary for managing the general affairs of the united States under their direction; to
appoint one of their number to preside; provided that no person be allowed to serve in the
office of president more than one year in any term of three years; to ascertain the necessary
sums of money to be raised for the service of the united States, and to appropriate and apply
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the same for defraying the public expenses; to borrow money or emit bills on the credit of the
united States, transmitting every half year to the respective States an account of the sums of
money so borrowed or emitted; to build and equip a navy; to agree upon the number of land
forces, and to make requisitions from each State for its quota, in proportion to the number of
white inhabitants in such State, which requisition shall be binding; and thereupon the
Legislature of each State shall appoint the regimental officers, raise the men, and clothe, arm,
and equip them, in a soldier-like manner, at the expense of the united States; and the officers
and men so clothed, armed, and equipped, shall march to the place appointed, and within the
time agreed on by the united States, in congress assembled; but if the united States, in
congress assembled, shall, on consideration of circumstances, judge proper that any State
should not raise men, or should raise a smaller number than its quota, and that any other
State should raise a greater number of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall
be raised, officered, clothed, armed, and equipped in the same manner as the quota of such
State, unless the Legislature of such State shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely
spared out of the same, in which case they shall raise, officer, clothe, arm, and equip, as many
of such extra number as they judge can be safely spared. And the officers and men so clothed,
armed, and equipped, shall march to the place appointed, and within the time agreed on by
the united States in congress assembled.

The united States, in congress assembled, shall never engage in a war, nor grant letters of
marque and reprisal in time of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money,
nor regulate the value thereof nor ascertain the sums and expenses necessary for the defence
and welfare of the united States, or any of them, nor emit bills, nor borrow money on the
credit of the united States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number of vessels of
war to be built or purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a
commander in chief of the army or navy, unless nine States assent to the same, nor shall a
question on any other point, except for adjourning from day to day, be determined, unless by
the votes of a majority of the united States in congress assembled.

The congress of the united States shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and
to any place within the united States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer
duration than the space of six months, and shall publish the journal of their proceedings
monthly, except such parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances, or military operations, as in
their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the delegates of each State, on any
question, shall be entered on the journal, when it is desired by any delegate; and the delegates
of a State, or any of them, at his or their request, shall be furnished with a transcript of the
said journal, except such parts as are above excepted, to lay before the legislatures of the
several States.

Article X. The committee of the States, or any nine of them, shall be authorized to execute,
in the recess of congress, such of the powers of congress as the united States, in congress
assembled, by the consent of nine States, shall, from time to time, think expedient to vest
them with; provided that no power be delegated to the said committee, for the exercise of
which, by the articles of con-federation, the voice of nine States, in the congress of the united
States assembled, is requisite.

Article XI. Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining in the measures of the united
States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this union: but no other
colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States.
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Article XII. All bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by or under
the authority of congress, before the assembling of the united States, in pursuance of the
present confederation, shall be deemed and considered as a charge against the united States,
for payment and satisfaction whereof the said United States and the public faith are hereby
solemnly pledged.

Article XIII. Every State shall abide by the determinations of the united States, in congress
assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them. And the
articles of this confederation shall be inviolably observed by every State, and the Union shall
be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them, unless
such alteration be agreed to in a congress of the united States, and be afterwards con-firmed
by the legislatures of every State.

And Whereas it hath pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the
legislatures we respectively represent in congress, to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify
the said articles of confederation and perpetual union, Know Ye, that we, the undersigned
delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do, by these
presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and
confirm each and every of the said articles of confederation and perpetual union, and all and
singular the matters and things therein contained. And we do further solemnly plight and
engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of
the united States, in congress assembled, on all questions which by the said confederation are
submitted to them; and that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the States we
respectively represent, and that the Union shall be perpetual. In witness whereof, we have
hereunto set our hands, in Congress. Done at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, the
ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight, and
in the third year of the Independence of America.

[The signers and the states they represented were:]

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett and John Wentworth Jr.

Massachusetts Bay: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Elbridge Gerry, Francis Dana, James
Lovell, and Samuel Holten

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: William Ellery, Henry Marchant, and John
Collins

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, Oliver Wolcott, Titus Hosmer, and
Andrew Adams

New York: James Duane, Francis Lewis, William Duer, and Gouverneur Morris

New Jersey: John Witherspoon and Nathaniel Scudder

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Daniel Roberdeau, Jonathan Bayard Smith, William Clingan,
and Joseph Reed

Delaware: Thomas McKean, John Dickinson, and Nicholas Van Dyke

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Maryland: John Hanson and Daniel Carroll

Virginia: Richard Henry Lee, John Banister, Thomas Adams, John Harvie, and Francis
Lightfoot Lee

North Carolina: John Penn, Cornelius Harnett, and John Williams

South Carolina: Henry Laurens, William Henry Drayton, John Mathews, Richard Hutson,
and Thomas Heyward Jr.

Georgia: John Walton, Edward Telfair, and Edward Langworthy

Notes:

Roger Sherman (Connecticut) was the only person to sign all four great state papers of the
United States: the Continental Association, the United States Declaration of Independence,
the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.

Robert Morris (Pennsylvania) was the only person besides Sherman to sign three of the
great state papers of the United States: the United States Declaration of Independence, the
Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.

John Dickinson (Delaware), Daniel Carroll (Maryland) and Gouverneur Morris (New
York), along with Sherman and Robert Morris, were the only five people to sign both the
Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution (Gouverneur Morris represented
Pennsylvania when signing the Constitution).

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