The Articles of Confederation became effective on March 1, 1781, after all 13 states had ratified them.
The Continental Congress finalized the Articles on November 15, 1777, but the ratification process lasted more than three years. Maryland was the final state to approve the document, after disputes over western land claims were resolved. Its ratification completed the required unanimous approval of the states.
The Articles created the first national governing framework for the United States. They gave Congress authority over war, diplomacy, treaties, and disputes between states, but left most power with the states and did not create a separate executive branch. Congress also lacked a general power to tax or regulate interstate commerce. These weaknesses helped prompt the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Articles remained in force until the Constitution replaced them in 1789, so March 1, 1781, marks an important transition from a wartime congress to a formal confederation.