How did John Dickinson's original draft of the Articles of Confederation differ from the version which was ratified?

by rogthnor
Bodark43

The most notable general changes were in Dickinson's giving Congress broader powers over the states, including forbidding encroachment of Native American Nations territories and granting religious toleration:

No person in any Colony living peaceably under the Civil Government, shall be molested or prejudiced in his or her4 person or Estate for his or her religious persuasion Profession or practise, nor be compelled to frequent or maintain or contribute to maintain any religious Worship, Place of Worship or Ministry, contrary to his or her Mind, by Virtue or Virtue Force of any Law or Ordinance hereafter to be made in any Colony different

Art[icle]. A perpetual Alliance offensive & defensive, is to be entered into by the whole Union as soon as may be with the Six Nations~~[*;*?]~~ and all other Nations of Indians; their Limits to be ascertained; their Lands to be secured to them, and not encroach'd on; no Colonial or private Purchases of Lands now unappropriated by Colonies or private persons hereafter to be made of them before the Limits of the Colonies are ascertained, to be held good; all purchases for the future to be made Contracts for Lands to be made for the future by between XX Contracts for Lands not included within those Limits when ascertained, to be made betweenthe whole Union in General Congress met and the Great Council of Indians, for the general Benefit & Advantage of all the united Colonies— Persons to be appointed by the Union to reside among the Indians in proper Districts, who shall take Care to prevent Injustice in the Trade with them, and shall be enabled at the general Common Expence of the united Colonies by occasional Supplies to relieve their personal Wants & Distresses

Dickinson was a Quaker, and his views on religion and Native Americans were not shared by most Americans. Some colonists eagerly looked forward to taking more land from the Nations, once England's restraining hand was removed. Nor did the states think much of the idea of a central government intervening in their religious affairs. And Dickinson was also from a large state, and granting of broad powers to a central government was something feared by the small states, and they had these powers reduced. The states at this time thought of themselves very much as separate countries, sovereign nations in themselves. They were extremely wary of the possibility of any powerful central government encroaching on their sovereignty. The smaller states feared that in any such government the larger states would dominate. This fear would also be the major reason for the division of powers in the eventual structuring of the US Constitution.

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You can see Dickinson's draft here:

http://digitalhistory.hsp.org/pafrm/doc/draft-articles-confederation-john-dickinson-june-1776

And the final Articles of Confederation here:

http://www.ushistory.org/documents/confederation.htm