On what date did the Confederation Congress ratify the Articles of Confederation?

The Confederation Congress ratified the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781.

The Articles created the first written framework of government for the United States. Congress approved the document for submission to the states in November 1777, but ratification took several years because states disputed western land claims. Maryland became the last state to approve it, removing the final obstacle.

The Articles formally took effect during the Revolutionary War. They established a Congress with important powers, including conducting diplomacy, making treaties, and managing the war effort, but they did not create a separate executive branch or federal judiciary. Congress also lacked the power to impose taxes directly on individuals.

The system helped coordinate the states but proved too weak for several national problems, including debt, trade disputes, and military financing. Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 to draft a replacement framework, the U.S. Constitution, which took effect in 1789.