Article 1.
The Stile of this Confederacy shall be "The United States of America."
Article 2.
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 3.
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 4.
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 priviledges and immunities of free citizens in the several states; and the people
of each state shall havfe free ingress and regress to and from any other state, and shall enjoy therein all the priviledges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties
impositions and restrictions as the inhavitants thereof respectively, provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as the 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 restrictions 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.
Article 5.
For the more convenient management of the general interests of the united states, delegates shall be anually appointed in such mannger as the legislature 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 by 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 of 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 and imprisonments, during the time of their going to and from, and attendance on Congress, except for treason, felony, or
breach of peace.
Article 6.
No state without the Consent of the united states in congerss 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
of any present, emolument, office or title of any kind what ever 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 imports 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 persuance of any treaties already proposed by congress, to the courts of France and Spain.
No vessels or 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 pf peace, except such number only, as in the judgement of the united
states, in congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts neessary for the defence of such state; but every state shall always keep up a well regulated
and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred, 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 7.
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 8.
All charges of war, and all other expences 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 teh value of all land within each state, granted to or surveyed for
any Persons, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated accrding 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 9.
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
exploration of importation of any species of goods and 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 appropraited—of granting letters of margue 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 cause whatever; which authority shall always be exercised in the manner following. Whenever the legislature
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 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 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 presene 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 teh 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 favour, 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 jurisdictions 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 sates—fixing the standard 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 legilative right of any state within its own limits be not infringed or violated—establishing and regulating post-offices
from one state to another, throughout all the united states, and exacting such postage on the papers passing thro' the same as may be requisite to defray the expences 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 ap[point 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 number to reside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any erm of three
years; to ascertain the necessary sums of money to be raised for the services of the united sates, and to appropriate and apply the same for defraying the public expences—to
borrow money, or emit bills on the credit of the united sates, transmitting every half year to the respective sates on 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 soldier like manner, at the expence 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 rause a small number than its quota, and that any other state should raise a greater 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 such state, unless the legislature of such state shall judge that such extra number cannot
be safely spared out of the same, in which case they shall raise, officer, cloath, arm and equip as many of such extra number as they judge can safely be spared. And the officers
and men so cloathed, armed and equipped, shall marchto 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 and 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 expences necessary for the defence and welfare of the united states, or any of them, nor emit bulls, 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 a 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 oif the delegates of each state on any question shall be entered on the Journal, when it is desired by
any delegate; and the 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.
Article 10.
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 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 in requisite.
Article 11.
Canada acceding to this confederation, and joining 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.
Article 12.
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.
Article 13.
Every state shall abide by the determinations of the united states in congress assembled, on all questions which by this condeferation 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 has 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 third year of the independence of America.