One of the documents that was so integral to the founding of America was the Articles of Confederation. Despite this it is rarely talked about or even thought of as an important document. The Articles of Confederation was the initial structure the Founding Father’s envisioned. What they had as a basis to create the Constitution. What was in it? I recommend reading the whole document but below I pull out some important points from Articles I-VI. The following post we will finish up with Articles VII-XIII.
After the introduction the Articles of Confederation begins with naming our country in Article I
Article I. The Stile of this confederacy shall be, “The United States of America.”
Article II specifically grants states all their rights like the 10th Amendment.
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 is joining the states together in a “friendship”
Article III. 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…
Article IV describe the rights of “free inhabitants” in each state has in the other states.
…the free inhabitants of each of these states…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 thereof respectively…
If any Person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other high misdemeanor in any state, shall flee from Justice…he shall upon demand of the Governor or executive power of the state from which he fled, be…removed to the state having jurisdiction of his offence.
Article V covers rules of selecting delegates and the rights that the delegates and states have.
For the more convenient management…with a power reserved to each state to recall its delegates….at any time…to send others in their stead…
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 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.
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In determining questions in the united states…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…except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace.
Article VI covers the process of foreign engagement and limits the rights of states to engage with foreign governments. It goes on to talk about how no state shall have a standing army in time of peace despite this being written during a time of war. It continues on granting the right of declaring war to the United States.
No State…shall send any embassy to….enter into…treaty, with any…state; nor shall any person holding any office…under the united states…accept of any present…from any…foreign state…
No two or more states shall enter into any treaty…between them…
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 vessels 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…for the defence 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…shall be deemed requisite to garrison the forts necessary 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…
Next time post will go over the rest of the Articles of Confederation, Articles VII-XIII.