The Articles of Confederation became effective on March 1, 1781, after Maryland completed ratification.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles for distribution to the states on November 15, 1777. The document established a confederation and described Congress’s limited powers during the Revolutionary War.
Ratification took years because Maryland withheld approval while western land claims remained unsettled. Once Maryland accepted the Articles, all thirteen states had ratified them, allowing the new national framework to take effect.
The Articles created a government in which Congress lacked several powers later associated with the federal government, including direct taxation and broad authority over interstate commerce. The system was replaced by the Constitution on March 4, 1789, following debates over the weaknesses of the Confederation government.