ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

1782 - 1788
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. 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.

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 judgment 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
marquee 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 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 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 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
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 marquee 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 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 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 pledged.

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.