The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation

Article 1 

• Names the confederation "The United States of America"

Article 2

• Powers not delegated to the United States, in Congress, is delegated to its composite states.

Article 3 

• States are confederated for a common defense

Article 4

• Provisions for economic integration of the states, such as the elimination of tariff barriers and conformity of economic policies; obliges free capital and labor mobility. 
• Allows for extradition between states. 

Article 5

• Congressional meeting every year to manage the general interests of the states. Each state gets between 2 and 7, inclusive, delegates of their choosing, but only one vote. 
• There is freedom of speech for delegates in Congress. 

Article 6

• States cannot have diplomacy independent of the United States without consent of the Congress. States cannot have extra, non-defensive armed forces in peaceful times, but should have a stock of a well-regulated and disciplined militia at hand. 
• States cannot unilaterally engage in non-defensive war. 

Article 7

• Officers of or under the rank of colonel in land forces raised for the common defense are appointed by legislatures of the state from which the troops are recruited.

Article 8

• War expenses are paid by a common treasury that states contribute to in proportion to the value of their land and assets.

Article 9

• Congress, except in cases of invasion, has the exclusive right to declare war/peace and to enter treaties and alliances. 
• Congress has the exclusive right to give permission to private ships to attack enemy ships and to oversee trials related to crimes committed on the sea. 
• Congress is the final arbiter in border/jurisdiction disputes between states. 
• Congress holds the exclusive right to determine the alloy composition and value of coins, standardize weights and measures, regulate trade and affairs with the Indians outside the states, establish post offices and charge for postage, and appoint officers of and direct the armed forces. 
• A committee manages the general affairs of the United States when Congress is in recess. 
• Congress can appoint a president that serves a no more than a year in any term of three years. 
• Congress determines the funds needed to serve the United States and borrow on the credit of the United States to spend on the United States. 
• Congress determines the size of land forces; states contribute to those forces in proportion to its population of white inhabitants. 
• All the powers conferred to the Congress in this article needs the assent of 9 states in order to be exercised; other issues, except for the request to adjourn from day to day, require agreement by a majority of the states.  

Article 10

• The committee mentioned in Article 9 acts as Congress when Congress is not in session, and can take on additional powers with the consent of at least 9 states, but cannot take new powers that specifically require the consent of 9 states while Congress is in session. 

Article 11

• Canada can join the confederation if it wants. All other colonies that want to join require the consent of at least 9 states.

Article 12 

• The United States takes on the debt accrued to finance the revolution.

Article 13 

• The states have to abide by the decisions of Congress once they join the confederation.