When did the Articles of Confederation take effect as America’s first constitution?

The Articles of Confederation took effect as America’s first constitution on March 1, 1781.

The Second Continental Congress finalized the Articles on November 15, 1777, but the document required ratification by all thirteen states. Maryland's approval completed that process more than three years later, allowing the Articles to become effective.

The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained sovereignty over powers not expressly given to the central government. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage certain national matters, but it lacked authority to impose taxes directly or regulate interstate commerce effectively.

These weaknesses became increasingly visible after the Revolutionary War. Congress struggled to pay debts, supply the government, and respond to economic problems. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 therefore produced a new Constitution rather than simply revising the Articles. The Constitution replaced the Articles' government on March 4, 1789.