The original Articles of Confederation contained 13 articles.
The Articles were adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 and became effective on March 1, 1781, after Maryland became the final state to ratify them. They served as the first constitution and governing framework of the United States during the Revolutionary War and the Confederation period.
The 13 articles established a “firm league of friendship” among the states, described congressional powers, addressed interstate relations, and declared that the union would be perpetual. The system gave substantial sovereignty to the individual states and did not create a separate executive branch or national judiciary.
The Articles are often confused with the seven articles of the United States Constitution. The Constitution replaced them on March 4, 1789, creating a stronger federal structure with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The number 13 also echoed the original thirteen states, but the document’s articles were legal sections rather than a list of states.