The Articles of Confederation took effect in 1781, before the Constitution in America250’s history.
Congress adopted the Articles in 1777, but the document required unanimous approval from all thirteen states. Maryland’s delayed ratification held up the process until March 1, 1781, when the Articles finally became the country’s operating constitutional framework.
The Articles created a loose union of states rather than the stronger federal system later established by the Constitution. Congress could handle foreign affairs, war, peace, and western lands, but it could not directly tax citizens or regulate trade between states. These limits made it difficult to fund the government and address national economic problems.
The Articles remained in force through the final years of the Revolutionary War and the postwar period. The Constitution was drafted in 1787, ratified in 1788, and replaced the Articles in 1789.