The principal writer of the Articles of Confederation was John Dickinson, a delegate from Delaware. He chaired the committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in June 1776 to draft the Articles and produced the main draft presented to Congress on July 12, 1776. Dickinson's draft named the new nation "the United States of America" and proposed a Congress with representation based on population, giving the national government powers not delegated to the states

. Before Dickinson's draft, other drafts were proposed, including those by Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane. By the time the Articles were approved, six separate drafts had been submitted, with Dickinson's version being the most influential and debated

. The Articles were ultimately adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, after considerable debate and revision, and they established a "league of friendship" among the 13 sovereign states, each retaining most of its powers

. In summary, while multiple individuals contributed drafts and ideas, John Dickinson is credited as the principal author of the Articles of Confederation.