The United States adopted the Articles of Confederation in 1777, creating its first constitutional framework during the Revolutionary War.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles on November 15, 1777. The document established a “firm league of friendship” among the states and assigned most governmental power to a unicameral Congress. It provided a structure for diplomacy, war administration, and relations among the states.
The Articles did not take effect immediately. All thirteen states had to ratify them, and Maryland’s approval came last on March 1, 1781. That date is often remembered as the formal beginning of the Articles’ operation, which explains why 1781 is a common alternative answer.
The system proved difficult to operate because Congress could not directly tax individuals, regulate interstate commerce, or easily enforce its decisions. Financial problems and disputes among the states encouraged calls for reform. Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 and produced the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification.