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from the Articles of Confederation to view or Article I Articles of Confederation 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. II. III. IV. If any person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other
high misdemeanor in any State, shall 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. 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. VI. 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 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. top The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by
the authority and direction of the IX. 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 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 -- 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 judge 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 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 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. XI. XII. XIII. 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. Adopted by Congress 15 November 1777. Final state to ratify was Maryland, 1 March 1781. |
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