The Articles of Confederation became the first U.S. national governing document in 1781. The Continental Congress approved the Articles in 1777, but they took effect on March 1, 1781, after Maryland became the final state to ratify them.
The Articles created a “firm league of friendship” among the states and established a national Congress. However, the central government had no independent power to tax, regulate interstate commerce, or directly enforce many decisions. Each state retained substantial sovereignty.
Congress under the Articles successfully managed important wartime and territorial matters. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, enacted after the Articles period, established a system for organizing territory north of the Ohio River and set a path toward new states.
Problems with the Articles contributed to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Delegates ultimately drafted an entirely new Constitution rather than simply amending the existing framework. The Constitution replaced the Articles after ratification and began operating in 1789.