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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.
- The Stile of this Confederacy shall be
"The United States of America".
- 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.
- The said States hereby severally enter
into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common
defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and
general welfare, binding themselves 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 pretense
whatever.
- 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 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 removed to the State
having jurisdiction of his offense.
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.
- For the most convenient management of the general interests of
the United States, delegates shall be annually appointed in such
manner as the legislatures of each State shall direct, to meet in
Congress on the first Monday in November, in every year, with a
powerreserved 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
more than seven members; and no person shall be capable of being a
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 or imprisonments, during the time of their going to and
from, and attendence on Congress, except for treason, felony, or
breach of the peace.
- 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
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 vessel 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 defense 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 judgement of the
United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to
garrison the forts necessary for the defense of such State; but
every State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined
militia, sufficiently armed and accoutered, and shall provide and
constantly have ready for use, in public stores, a due number of
filed 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 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.
- When land forces are raised by any State for the common
defense, 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 the appointment.
- All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be
incurred for the common defense 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 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.
- 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 States 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 commited 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 causes 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 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
judgement 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 judgement, which
shall in like manner be final and decisive, the judgement 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 judgement, 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 judgement, without
favor, 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 presecribed 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 standards 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
infringed or violated -- establishing or 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 members 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
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 cloath, arm and equip them
in a solid-like manner, at the expense of the United States; and
the officers and men so cloathed, 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 of men than the quota thereof, such extra number shall be
raised, officered, cloathed, armed and equipped in the same manner
as the quota of each State, unless the legislature of such State
shall judge that such extra number cannot be safely spread out in
the same, in which case they shall raise, officer, cloath, arm and
equip as many of such extra number as they judeg can be safely
spared. And the officers and men so cloathed, 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 or 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 defense 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 the 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 judgement
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 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.
- 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 the 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
Confederation, the voice of nine States in the Congress of the
United States assembled be requisite.
- Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining 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.
- 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
pleged.
- Every State shall abide by the determination 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 confirmed
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.
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