Virginia was the first colony, later state, to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
Virginia approved the Articles on December 16, 1777, shortly after the Continental Congress submitted the proposed framework to the states. Ratification was essential because the Articles were designed as an agreement among the states rather than simply an act imposed by Congress.
The process then moved unevenly. Twelve states had ratified by February 1779, but Maryland withheld approval for nearly two additional years. Maryland wanted states with western territorial claims, especially Virginia, to surrender those claims to the national union. Virginia eventually ceded its claims, helping clear the way for Maryland’s ratification.
Maryland became the final state to ratify on February 2, 1781. Congress announced that the Articles were in force on March 1, 1781. Thus Virginia was first to approve the document, while Maryland was the state whose final approval activated it.