The Articles of Confederation became the United States’ first governing constitution when they took effect in 1781.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles in 1777, but all thirteen states had to ratify them before they could operate. Maryland became the final state to ratify the document on March 1, 1781, making it effective during the Revolutionary War.
The Articles created a confederation of sovereign states and established a unicameral Congress. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, manage western territories, and request money from the states, but it lacked direct power to tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce. Those limitations made coordinated national action difficult.
The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced a stronger federal framework. The Constitution replaced the Articles after ratification. A common error is calling the Declaration of Independence the first constitution; the Declaration announced separation from Britain, while the Articles organized the new union’s government.