2012-10-27

I was looking up an article of the constitution of the United States of America, and I noticed in the exact transcription that almost every noun is capitalized.

All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

The emphasis is mine, but the capitalization is present in the original text.

Many of these nouns seem like they would not be capitalized today, especially, Thing. Did English once have capitalization rules like German has today, or is this 18th-century legalese?

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