Record Group 360: Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional ConventionSeries: Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress
To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the under signed Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greetings. Where as the Delegates of the United States of America in Congress assembled did on the fifteenth day of November is 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 Newhampshire [sic], Massachusettsbay, Rhodeisland [sic] and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-vania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Article I. The title of the 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 each other, for their common defence [sic], the security of their Liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding them - selves 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 [sic] what[so]ever.
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 [sic] 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, impo-sitions and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively, 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 of the united States, or either of them.
If any Person guilty of, or charged with treason, felony, or other high misdemeaner [sic] 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 re-moved to the State having jurisdiction of his offences.
Full faith and Credit shall be given in each of these States to the records, acts and judicial proceedings of the courts and magistrate of every other State.
Article V. For the more convenient management of the general interests of the 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 [sic] 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. [complete document and transcription at link]
Seid mir schöne Kerls. Bin da gewesen und kein Petersen, kein Reichenbach. Tausendsakerlot! Wo bleibt die Manille heut?
Hol euch so alle der Teufel! Bin zu Hauß, wenn ihr mich haben wollt. Adieu.
Schiller
— im Stuttgarter Wirtshaus »Ochsen« von Schiller an seine Freunde hinterlassene Nachricht, Ende 1781
