Congress approved the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, during the founding era honored by America250. The Articles became the first written constitution of the United States under which the states operated as a confederation.
The document was drafted during the Revolutionary War to define the relationship among the states and create a national framework. Congress approved the text in 1777 and sent it to the states for ratification. It did not take effect immediately because every state had to agree before the Articles could become binding.
Maryland’s ratification completed the process on March 1, 1781. The Articles then formally governed the United States, although Congress had already been conducting wartime affairs for years. The system gave substantial power to the states and gave Congress limited ability to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce its decisions.
The weaknesses became increasingly clear after the war. The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification. November 15 is therefore the approval date, while March 1, 1781, is the effective date often associated with the Articles.