The Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, after all 13 states had ratified them.
The Articles were the first constitutional framework for the United States. The Second Continental Congress debated them from July 1776 through November 1777, and Congress approved the final text on November 15, 1777. Ratification then took more than three years.
Maryland was the last state to approve the Articles, doing so on February 2, 1781. Congress was informed of Maryland’s assent on March 1 and declared the Articles operative. They created a confederation in which the states retained substantial power and the national government had limited authority.
The Articles allowed Congress to conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but Congress could not directly tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce. The system was replaced by the United States Constitution, which took effect on March 4, 1789.