Virginia was the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, on December 16, 1777.
The Articles were the first frame of government for the United States during and immediately after the Revolutionary War. Congress approved the Articles in November 1777 and sent them to the states for ratification. Virginia became the first state to approve them, but the process took several years because every state had to consent.
Maryland delayed ratification while disputing western land claims held by states such as Virginia. The disagreement concerned whether those states should retain claims to territory beyond the Appalachian Mountains or cede it to the United States. Maryland eventually ratified the Articles in February 1781, allowing them to take effect.
The Articles created a confederation with a weak central government. Congress could conduct diplomacy and manage war-related affairs, but it lacked several powers later granted by the Constitution, including direct taxation. The Articles formally governed the United States until the Constitution replaced them in 1789.