Franklin’s 1775 articles gave Congress broad general-welfare powers.

Evidence

Federal in nature, with each colony retaining “as much as it may think fit of its own present Laws, Customs, Rights, and Privileges,” Franklin’s proposed articles would create “a firm League of Friendship” among the colonies. Each colony would elect one delegate to a “General Congress” for every 5,000 males “between 16 and 60 years of age,” which Franklin presumably saw as the working age for men even though he was still working at age 69. Beyond holding plenary power over war, peace, foreign affairs, and disputes between colonies, under Franklin’s plan Congress could “also make such general Ordinances as tho’ necessary to the General Welfare, particular Assemblies cannot be competent to; viz. those that may relate to our general Commerce, or general Currency; to the Establishment of Posts; and the Regulation of our common Forces.” — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 289

Categorization

• XREF: Franklin’s ‘general Welfare’ clause is an early ancestor of the later constitutional grant — useful tracing the contested phrase’s meaning across founding documents.