Page "Committee of the States" Paragraph 1

In the draft of the Articles of Confederation by John Dickinson and the draft committee, this Committee was called the Council of State vested with executive and staff control for commerce, trade, education and issues as delegated by nine state vote of Congress.

The Council was modeled after the various administrative committees set up during the American Revolutionary War.

Instead the Second Continental Congress changed it to A Committee of the States with limited management powers only when Congress was not in session.