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.
I. The Stile of this Confederacy shall be
"The United States of America."
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.
III. 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.
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 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.
V. 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.
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 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.
VII. 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.
VIII. 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.
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
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.
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 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.
XI. 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.
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 pleged.
XIII. 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
Downloaded, with permission, from
the Avalon
Project of Yale Law School.
