The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union - Article I - The Stile of this confederacy shall be "The United States of America"

Oct 19, 2026

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A foundational statement of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union sets out the identity, sovereignty, and mutual responsibilities of the member states in a league for common defense and welfare. It establishes the confederacy’s official name, reserves powers to each state except those expressly delegated, and defines cooperative friendship, privileges, and legal safeguards among states. It further outlines congressional representation, speech protections, restrictions on diplomacy, and limits on titles, treaties, duties, and military readiness in peacetime.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Article I

The Stile of this confederacy shall be "The United States of America."

Article II

Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence

Article III

A firm league of friendship for common defence and welfare

Article IV

Privileges and legal reciprocity among states

Article V

Delegates, congressional meeting, and voting rules

Article VI

Limits on diplomacy, titles, and treaties

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union 1777 To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names, send greeting. Whereas the Delegates of the United States ofAmerica, in Congress assembled, did, on the 15th day of November, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy seven, and in the Second Year of the Independence of America, agree to certain articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New-hampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhodeisland and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia in the words following, viz. "Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the states of New-hampshire, Massachusetts-bay, Rhodeisland and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia". Article I. The Stile of this confederacy shall be "The United States of America." Article 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. Article III. The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with eachother, 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 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 have 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 thereofrespectively, provided that such restriction 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 ofthe united states, or either ofthem. 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 V. For the more convenient management of the general interests ofthe united states, delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner 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 recal 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 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

FAQs

What does Article I name the confederacy as?

Article I states that the confederacy’s stile shall be "The United States of America."

How does Article II treat state authority?

Article II provides that each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and all powers not expressly delegated by the confederation to the United States in Congress assembled remain with the states.

What restrictions does Article VI place on states’ diplomacy and titles?

Article VI bars states from sending or receiving embassies or entering agreements or treaties with kings, princes, or foreign states without the consent of the United States in Congress assembled, restricts officeholders from accepting foreign emoluments or titles, and prohibits titles of nobility by the United States in Congress assembled.

Oct 19, 2026

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