What was the government in the United States before the U.S. Constitution was written?
It was the
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, introduced into the Continental Congress on July 12, 1776, a little over a week after the Declaration of Independence.
After a long debate, the
Articles of Confederation were approved on November 15, 1777 and sent to the States for ratification.
The States finally ratified them on MARCH 1, 1781.
A little over 6 years later, May 25, 1787, Congress met in Philadelphia to revise the
Articles of Confederation, but while there they ended up replacing them with the U.S. Constitution.
The
Articles of Confederation were signed by such statesmen as John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Roger Sherman, John Witherspoon, Richard Henry Lee, Robert Morris, John Dickinson, Daniel Carroll, and Gouverneur Morris.
The
Articles of Confederation were an attempt to loosely knit the thirteen States together, giving the national government absolutely no power to tax, leaving authority under each individual State's Constitution.
Lincoln referred to the
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union in his First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861:
"The Union is much older than the Constitution...The faith of all the then thirteen States expressly plighted and engaged that it should be perpetual, by the
Articles of Confederation in 1778."
The
Articles of Confederation declared:
"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 1777, and in the second year of the independence of America agree on certain
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the States...
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, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force...or attacks made upon them...on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense."
The
Articles of Confederation end with the line:
"It has pleased the Great Governor of the World to incline the hearts of the Legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of and to authorize us to ratify the said
Articles of Confederation."
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VIRGINIA was the first to ratify the
Articles of Confederation on December 16, 1777.
At that time, Virginia's Constitution (1776) stated in its Bill of Rights:
"That religion, or the duty which we owe to our
Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence;
and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice
Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other."
SOUTH CAROLINA was the 2nd State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, February 5, 1778.
At that time, South Carolina's Constitution (1778) stated:
"We, the people of the State of South Carolina...grateful to God for our liberties...
No person shall be eligible to sit in the House of Representatives unless he be of the
Protestant religion...
All persons and religious societies who acknowledge that there is one
God, and a future state of rewards and punishments, and that
God is publicly to be worshiped, shall be freely tolerated.
The
Christian Protestant religion shall be deemed...the established religion of this State.
That all denominations of
Christian Protestants in this State...shall enjoy equal religious and civil privileges...
That
every society of Christians...shall have agreed to...the following five articles...(See Locke's Constitution, Article 97-100):
1. That there is
one eternal God, and a future state of rewards and punishments.
2. That
God is publicly to be worshiped.
3. That the
Christian religion is the true religion
4. That the
Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are of Divine inspiration, and are the rule of faith and practice.
5. That it is lawful and the duty of every man being thereunto called by those that govern, to bear witness to the truth...
No person shall officiate as minister... until the minister...shall have...subscribed to the following declaration...:
That he is determined by
God's grace out of the Holy Scriptures, to instruct the people committed to his charge, and to teach nothing as required of necessity to
eternal salvation but that which he shall be persuaded may be concluded and proved from the
Scripture;
That he will use both public and private admonitions, as well to the sick as to the whole within his cure, as need shall require and occasion shall be given, and that he will be diligent in
prayers, and in reading of the same;
That he will be diligent to frame and fashion his own self and his family according to the
doctrine of Christ, and to make both himself and them, as much as in him lieth, wholesome examples and patterns to the flock of
Christ."
NEW YORK was the 3rd State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation.
At that time, New York's Constitution (1777) stated:
"Whereas the Delegates of the United American States...solemnly... declare, in the words following; viz:
'...Laws of nature and of
nature's God entitle them...
All men are created equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights...
Appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions...
with a firm reliance on the protection of
Divine Providence...'
This convention doth further...declare, that the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever hereafter be allowed, within this State, to all mankind:
Provided, That the liberty of conscience, hereby granted, shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness."
RHODE ISLAND was the 4th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, February 9, 1778.
At that time, Rhode Island was continuing to use its 1663 Charter, which stated:
"That they, pursuing...religious intentions, of
Godly edifying themselves, and one another, in the
Holy Christian faith and worship...
Together with the gaining over and conversion of the poor ignorant Indian natives, in those parts of America, to the sincere profession and obedience of the same faith and worship...by the good
Providence of God...there may, in due time, by the blessing of
God upon their endeavors, be laid a sure foundation of happiness to all America...
that among our English subjects, with a full liberty in religious concernements; and that true piety rightly grounded upon
Gospel principles, will give the best and greatest security...
to secure them in the free exercise and enjoyment of all their civil and religious rights, appertaining to them, as our loving subjects; and to preserve unto them that liberty, in the
true Christian faith and worship of God...
and because some of the people and inhabitants of the same colony cannot, in their private opinions, conform to the...
ceremonies of the Church of England...our royal will and pleasure is, that no person within the said colony...shall be any wise molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion in matters of religion...
not using this liberty to licentiousness and profaneness...that they may be in the better capacity to defend themselves, in their just rights and liberties against all the enemies of the
Christian faith...
and...by their good life and orderly conversations, they may win and invite the native Indians of the country to the knowledge and obedience of the
only true God, and Savior of mankind."
CONNECTICUT was the 5th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, February 12, 1778.
At that time, Connecticut was continuing to use its 1662 Charter, which stated:
"Our said people inhabitants there, may be so
religiously, peaceably and civilly governed, as their good life and orderly conversation may win and invite the natives of the country to the knowledge and obedience of the
only true GOD, and the
Savior of Mankind, and the
Christian Faith, which...is the only and principal End of this Plantation."
GEORGIA was the 6th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, February 26, 1778.
At that time, Georgia's Constitution (1777) stated:
"Representatives shall be chosen out of the residents in each county...and they shall be of the
Protestant religion...
Every person entitled to vote shall take the following oath...'I, A B. do voluntarily and solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I do owe true allegiance to this State, and will support the constitution thereof;
So Help Me God.'"
NEW HAMPSHIRE was the 7th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, March 4, 1778.
At that time, New Hampshire's Constitution (1784) stated:
"As morality and piety, rightly grounded on
evangelical principles will give the best and greatest security to government...the people of this state...empower the legislature to...make adequate provision...for the support and maintenance of
public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality...
Every denomination of
Christians demeaning themselves quietly, and as good subjects of the state, shall be equally under the protection of the law...
No person shall be capable of being elected a Senator who is not of the
Protestant religion...
Every member of the House of Representatives...shall be of the
Protestant religion...
The President (Governor) shall be chosen annually; and no person shall be eligible to this office, unless...he shall be of the
Protestant religion."
PENNSYLVANIA was the 8th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, March 5, 1778:
At that time, Pennsylvania's Constitution (1776) stated:
"Government ought to...enable the individuals...to enjoy their natural rights, and the other blessings which the
Author of Existence has bestowed upon man...
That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship
Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences...
Nor can any man, who acknowledges the being of a
God, be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right...
Each member, before he takes his seat, shall make...the following declaration, viz:
'I do believe in
one God, the
Creator and
Governor of the Universe, the
Rewarder of the good and the Punisher of the wicked. And I do acknowledge the
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by
Divine Inspiration. And no further or other religious test shall ever hereafter be required...
Laws for the encouragement of virtue, and prevention of vice and immorality, shall be made and constantly kept in force...All
religious societies...shall be encouraged."
MASSACHUSETTS was the 9th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, March 10, 1778:
At that time, Massachusetts' Constitution (1780) stated:
"We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the
Great Legislator of the Universe, in affording us, in the course of
His Providence, an opportunity...of forming a new constitution of civil government...
It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons to worship the
Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the Universe... Civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community, but by the institution of the
Public worship of God...
The people of this commonwealth... authorize...the
public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of
public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality...
And every denomination of
Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law...
The Governor shall be chosen annually; and no person shall be eligible to this office, unless...he shall declare himself to be of the
Christian religion...
'Any person chosen governor, lieutenant governor, counselor, senator or representative, and accepting the trust, shall...make...the following declaration, viz.- 'I, A. B., do declare, that I believe the
Christian religion, and have a firm persuasion of its truth.'"
NORTH CAROLINA was the 10th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, April 5, 1778.
At that time, North Carolina's Constitution (1776) stated:
"That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship
Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences...
That no person, who shall deny the being of
God or the truth of the
Protestant religion, or the
Divine authority either of the
Old or New Testaments, or who shall hold religious principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of the State, shall be capable of holding any office...
That there shall be no establishment of any one religious
Church or denomination in this State, in preference to any other."
NEW JERSEY was the 11th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, November 19, 1778.
At that time, New Jersey's Constitution (1776) stated:
"That no person shall ever...be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshiping
Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience...
No
Protestant inhabitant of this Colony shall be denied the enjoyment of any civil right...
All persons, professing a belief in the faith of
any Protestant sect, who shall demean themselves peaceably under the government...shall be capable of being elected into any office."
DELAWARE was the 12th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, February 1, 1779.
At that time, Delaware's Constitution (1776) stated:
"Every...member of either house...before taking his seat... shall... make... the following declaration, to wit:
'I...do profess faith in
God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the
Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by
Divine inspiration.'
There shall be no establishment of any religious sect in this State in preference to another...
That all Men have a natural and unalienable Right to worship
Almighty God according to the Dictates of their own Consciences...
That all Persons professing the
Christian Religion ought forever to enjoy equal Rights and Privileges in this State."
MARYLAND was the 13th State to ratify the
Articles of Confederation, February 22, 1781.
At that time, Maryland's Constitution (1776) stated:
"It is the duty of every man to worship
God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to him; all persons, professing the
Christian religion, are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty...
The Legislature may, in their discretion, lay a general and equal tax for the support of the
Christian religion; leaving to each individual the power of appointing the payment...to the support of...his own denomination...
That no other test or qualification ought to be required, on admission to any office...than such oath of...fidelity to this State...and a declaration of a belief in the
Christian religion.
That every person, appointed to any office...shall...take the following oath; to wit:
'I, A. B., do swear, that I do not hold myself bound in allegiance to the King of Great Britain, and that I will be faithful, and bear true allegiance to the State of Maryland;' and shall also subscribe a declaration of his belief in the
Christian religion."
VERMONT was its own republic in 1777.
Even though it did not participate in the
Articles of Confederation, Vermont's Constitution in 1777, as well as its 1786 Constitution at the time President George Washington approved it as the 14th State, stated:
"Whereas, all government ought...to enable the individuals...to enjoy their natural rights, and the other blessings which the
Author of Existence has bestowed upon man...
That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship
ALMIGHTY GOD, according to the dictates of their own consciences and understanding, regulated by the
Word of GOD...
Nevertheless, every sect or denomination of people ought to observe the
Sabbath, or the Lord's Day, and keep up, and support, some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed
Will of GOD...
And each member, before he takes his seat, shall make...the following declaration, viz.
'I ____ do believe in
one God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe, the Rewarder of the good and Punisher of the wicked. And I do acknowledge the
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by
Divine inspiration, and own and profess the
Protestant religion.'"
