The Articles of Confederation took effect on March 1, 1781, when Maryland became the last state to ratify them.
The Articles were the first written constitution of the United States. Congress approved the document in November 1777, but ratification was delayed because states disputed western land claims. Maryland’s approval cleared the final obstacle, allowing the Confederation government to operate under a completed national framework.
The Articles created a league of states with a unicameral Congress. The national government could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage certain shared affairs, but it lacked important powers such as the ability to impose taxes directly or regulate interstate commerce.
These weaknesses contributed to calls for reform after the Revolutionary War. The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced the Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification. The Articles therefore governed during the later Revolutionary War period and the early years of U.S. independence.