The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781, creating the United States' first national government.
The Articles served as the governing framework for the United States during the Revolutionary War's final years and the early postwar period. Congress approved the document in 1777, but it did not take effect until Maryland became the last state to ratify it on March 1, 1781.
The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained substantial power. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage certain national matters, but it lacked several powers later granted to the federal government by the Constitution.
The Articles were replaced by the Constitution in 1789. The change was not an immediate rejection of independence-era ideals; it reflected concern that the Confederation Congress was too weak to manage finances, commerce, and national defense effectively.