Josiah Bartlett
  W’M Whipple
  SAM’L.  Adams
  John Adams
  ROB’T.  Treat Paine
  Elbridge Gerry
  step.  Hopkins
  William Ellery
  Roger Sherman
  SAM’EL Huntington
  W’M Williams
  Oliver Wolcott
  Matthew Thornton
  W’M Floyd
  Phil.  Livingston
  Fran’s Lewis
  Lewis Morris
  RICH’D Stockton
  JN’O.  Witherspoon
  FRA’S.  Hopkinson
  John Hart
  Abra Clark
  ROB’T.  Morris
  Benjamin Rush
  BENJ’A.  Franklin
  John Morton
  GEO Clymer
  JA’S.  Smith. 
  GEO. Taylor
  James Wilson
  GEO. Ross
  Caesar Rodney
  GEO read
  tho M’KEAN
  Samuel Chase
  W’M.  Paca
  THO’S.  Stone
  Charles Carroll of Carrollton
  George Wythe
  Richard Henry Lee. 
  Th.  Jefferson
  BENJ’A.  Harrison
  THO’S.  Nelson jr. 
  Francis Lightfoot Lee
  Carter Braxton
  W’M.  Hooper
  Joseph Hewes. 
  John Penn
  Edward Rutledge. 
  THO’S.  Heyward Jun’r. 
  Thomas Lynch Jun’r. 
  Arthur Middleton
  Button GWINNETT
  Lyman hall
  GEO Walton.

* * * * *

Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation

Note.—­The original is indorsed:  Act of Confederation of The United States of America.

To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting.  Whereas the Delegates of the United States of America in Congress assembled did on the fifteenth day of November in 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 Newhampshire, 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, Massachusetts-bay, Rhodeisland and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia.”

Article I. The Stile of this confederacy shall be “The United States of America.”

Article II.  Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom an 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, the security of their Liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves 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 whatsoever.