Excerpts from the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress in 1781.
Article 1. The name of the confederacy shall be “the United States of America.”
Article 2. 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 3. 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…
Article 5. No states shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor more than seven
members…In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each state shall
have one vote…
Article 8: Taxes for paying for all expenses incurred for the general welfare shall be levied by
the authority and direction of the Legislatures of the states…
Article 9. The United States in Congress shall have the sole and exclusive right and power of
determining on peace and war…of sending and receiving ambassadors; entering into treaties and
alliances…The United States in Congress shall also be the last resort on appeal in all disagreements
that may arise between two or more states…
…The United States in Congress shall also have the sole exclusive right and power of regulating the
alloy and value of coins…fixing the standard of weights and measures throughout the United
States, regulating the trade and managing all affairs with the Indians…establishing and regulating
post-offices from one state to another…appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and
commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States…
… The United States in congress shall never engage in a war…nor enter into any treaties or
alliances, nor coin money, nor borrow money on the credit of the United States… nor appoint a
commander in chief of the army or navy…unless nine states agree on the issue…
Article 13. …The Articles of the Confederation shall be observed by every state … nor shall any
alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a
Congress of the United States and be afterward confirmed by the legislatures of every state…
Articles of Confederation Questions
Name _______________________________________
Article 1:
What is the name of the new country? ________________________________
Article 2:
What does it mean for each state to remain “sovereign”?
Article 3:
What three reasons are given for the states entering a “firm league of friendship”?
Article 5:
How many delegates from each state will be sent to Congress to meet? __________________
How many votes will each state receive? _________________
Article 8:
Who is responsible for getting taxes for the government? _______________________________________
Article 9:
List the powers of the United States in Congress (i.e. National Government).
What must the United States in Congress have in order to do any of these things?
Article 13:
What is required for any part of the Articles of Confederation be changed?