The Articles of Confederation took effect in 1781 as the United States’ first constitution.
The Second Continental Congress finalized the Articles on November 15, 1777, and sent them to the states for ratification. The document could not take effect until every state approved it. Maryland was the last state to ratify, doing so on February 2, 1781; Congress was informed of the ratification on March 1.
The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained substantial sovereignty. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage certain national matters, but the central government lacked several powers later granted by the Constitution, including broad taxation authority and a separate executive branch.
The Articles remained the nation’s governing framework until the Constitution replaced them in 1789. The Constitution created a stronger federal structure with an executive, national courts, and expanded congressional powers. The Articles are therefore a key bridge between the Declaration-era revolutionary government and the constitutional system commemorated during America250.