. 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 committed on the high seas and establishing
courts for receiving and determining finally appeals in all cases of ca. 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 committed 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.
ptures, provided that no member of Congress shall be appointed a judge of any of the said courts.