The Articles of Confederation took effect on March 1, 1781, after Maryland became the final state to ratify them.
The Articles were the first frame of government for the United States. The Second Continental Congress finalized the document on November 15, 1777, but ratification took years because states debated the distribution of western land claims and the balance between state and central authority.
Maryland initially withheld approval until states with claims west of the Appalachian Mountains agreed to cede those claims to the Union. Once Maryland ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, Congress was informed and proclaimed them in force on March 1.
The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained substantial power. Congress could conduct diplomacy and manage war, but it lacked important powers such as direct taxation and broad regulation of commerce. These weaknesses helped lead to the Constitutional Convention and replacement of the Articles in 1789.