November 15, 1777

he Continental Congress resolved "that a committee be re and digest the form of a confederation to be entered colonies." The committee, consisting of one member olonies except New Jersey, was appointed the following n up by John Dickinson of Delaware, a member of the ported July 12, considered in Committee of the Whole debated at intervals until Nov. 15, 1777, when, with some s agreed to. Congress directed that “these articles shall legislatures of all the United States, to be considered, and hem, they are advised to authorize their delegates to ratify ngress of the United States; which being done, the same usive." A form of circular letter to accompany the Artiov. 17; June 26, 1778, a form of ratification was agreed tes from the several States signed the Articles as follows: Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence PlantaNew York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina, h Carolina, July 21, 1778; Georgia, July 24, 1778; New 78; Delaware, May 5, 1779; Maryland, March 1, 1781. r the Articles March 2, 1781.

Text in Revised Statutes (ed. 1878). There are numerous ceedings of Congress are in the Journal (ed. 1800, II..-IX.); Jefferson's notes are in Elliot's Debates (ed. 1836), circular letter accompanying the Articles is also in Elliot, s Commentaries (ed. 1833), I., 217–223, gives an analysis

m these Presents shall come, we the undersigned States affixed to our Names send greeting. Delegates of the United States of America in Condid on the fifteenth day of November in the year e Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-seven, nd Year of the Independence of America agree to of Confederation and perpetual Union between Newhampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhodeisland Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, and Georgia in the Words following, viz.

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 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 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 removed 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.

Congress on the first Monday in November, a power reserved to each State, to recall its of them, at any time within the year, and to stead, for the remainder of the year. = represented in Congress by less than two, nor

members; and no person shall be capable of or more than three years in any term of six y person, being a delegate, be capable of holder the United States, for which he, or another ives any salary, fees or emolument of any kind. maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the they act as members of the committee of the

questions in the United States, in Congress tate shall have one vote.

ech and debate in Congress shall not be imned in any court, or place out of Congress, and ongress shall be protected in their persons from onments, during the time of their going to and nce on Congress, except for treason, felony, or

ce.

No State without the consent of the United States abled, shall send any embassy to, or receive any enter into any conference, agreement, alliance y king, prince or state; nor shall any person e of profit or trust under the United States, or ept of any present, emolument, office or title of er from any king, prince or foreign state; nor States in Congress assembled, or any of them, nobility.

re States shall enter into any treaty, confederawhatever between them, without the consent of s in Congress assembled, specifying accurately which the same is to be entered into, and how inue.

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 accoutered, 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 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 the 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 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 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 legisla