Virginia was the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
Virginia approved the Articles on December 16, 1777, shortly after Congress submitted the proposed framework to the states. The Articles were intended to create a perpetual union and define the powers of Congress during the Revolutionary War. They served as the United States’ first constitution before being replaced by the Constitution in 1789.
Ratification took more than three years because several states disputed western land claims. Maryland was the final holdout, refusing to ratify until states such as Virginia agreed to surrender claims to territory west of the Appalachian Mountains. Maryland ratified on February 2, 1781, and Congress announced the Articles’ entry into force on March 1.
Virginia’s early approval is often confused with Maryland’s later importance. Maryland was last, not first, and its ratification completed the required agreement among all thirteen states. The Articles created a weak central government with no independent executive and limited power to tax.