The Articles of Confederation came into force on March 1, 1781, as the United States’ first constitution.
The Second Continental Congress finalized the Articles on November 15, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. The document created a loose union in which the states retained substantial power and Congress had limited authority. It could conduct diplomacy and manage war, but it lacked important powers such as direct taxation.
Ratification took more than three years because Maryland withheld approval while states with western land claims were expected to cede those claims to the Union. Maryland became the final state to ratify on February 2, 1781, and Congress received official notice on March 1.
The Articles were replaced by the Constitution, which took effect for the federal government in 1789. The earlier system’s financial difficulties, weak executive structure, and inability to regulate interstate commerce helped motivate the Constitutional Convention, although the Articles also provided the first national framework for the new country.