The Articles of Confederation became effective as the first United States constitution on March 1, 1781.
The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles in November 1777, but they required unanimous state ratification. Maryland’s eventual approval removed the final obstacle, allowing the Articles to take effect during the Revolutionary War.
The document created a “firm league of friendship” among the states and gave Congress responsibility for diplomacy, war, western lands, and other shared matters. It did not create a separate executive branch or a national court system, and Congress could not directly levy taxes on individuals.
The Articles helped coordinate the war and manage the new country, but their financial and governmental weaknesses became increasingly serious after independence. Delegates met at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and drafted the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification. Confusing the two documents is common because both served as foundational national frameworks.