The Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation: Key Points

• The Articles of Confederation were written in 1777 as the first official document after the Declaration of Independence and the start of the American Revolution.
• All 13 Colony States eventually ratified the Articles of Confederation, with Maryland being the last to ratify on January 30, 1781.
• The Articles established a union between the 13 States and defined the United States as a government.
• Each state maintained its sovereignty, with any powers not delegated to Congress being retained by the states.
• The Articles addressed interstate relations, establishing a "friendship" between states and requiring recognition and support of laws and decisions made in other states.
• States chose their representatives to serve in Congress, with a minimum of two members and a maximum of seven per state.
• No state could grant titles of nobility or enter treaties with foreign states without the consent of Congress.
• The Articles regulated defense, stating that no vessels of war could be kept in peacetime without Congress's approval and that no state could engage in war without Congress's consent.
• Congress had powers such as determining times of war and peace, entering treaties, resolving conflicts between states, and regulating trade with nonresident Indians.
• Congress could appoint officers in the Army and Navy, create committees and civil officers, and manage the finances and military forces of the United States.
• When Congress was not in session, the Committee of States had full authority to act in its place and grant additional powers with the agreement of nine states.
• The United States took on the financial responsibility for the money borrowed to fund the American Revolution, pledging to repay the debt. Each state had to accept and agree to the terms set forth in the Articles of Confederation.