The Articles of Confederation became the governing framework of the United States on March 1, 1781.
The Articles were the first written constitution of the United States. The Continental Congress approved them in 1777, but they required unanimous ratification by the states. Maryland’s approval on February 2, 1781, cleared the final obstacle.
Congress formally announced ratification on March 1, 1781, and the Articles took effect that day. They created a confederation in which the states retained substantial sovereignty. The national Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but it lacked power to tax individuals directly or regulate interstate commerce.
The weaknesses of this system helped prompt the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Constitution replaced the Articles after ratification and took effect in 1789. Thus, the Articles were not abandoned immediately after independence; they governed the United States for roughly eight years.