The Articles of Confederation became effective in 1781 as the United States' first national constitution. Maryland's ratification on March 1, 1781, completed the approval process and made the Articles operative.
The Articles created a loose confederation in which most power remained with the states. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but it lacked key powers such as direct taxation and broad authority to regulate interstate commerce.
Problems under this system contributed to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Constitution replaced the Articles after ratification by the required states and took effect for the new federal government in 1789. The Articles were not the Declaration of Independence: the Declaration announced separation from Britain in 1776, while the Articles established the first formal national government of the independent states.