To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned
Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting.
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 power 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 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.
Agreed to by Congress 15 November 1777 In force after
ratification by Maryland, 1 March 1781
