The Articles of Confederation became effective for the United States on March 1, 1781.
The Articles were approved by Congress in 1777, but their effectiveness required ratification by all thirteen states. Maryland was the final state to approve them, completing the process on March 1, 1781. The document then served as the nation’s first written framework of national government.
Under the Articles, Congress conducted diplomacy, managed western lands, and directed the war effort, but it lacked several powers later granted by the Constitution. Congress could not directly levy taxes or regulate interstate commerce, and major decisions often required broad state agreement.
The Articles period produced important laws, including the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The Constitution replaced the Articles after being ratified in 1788 and taking effect in 1789. Thus, March 1, 1781, marks effectiveness, not the date the Articles were first drafted or approved.