Maryland was the last state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, completing approval by all 13 states.
Maryland's legislature ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781. Congress was informed of the decision on March 1, and the Articles then became the nation's operating frame of government. Their approval required unanimous consent from the states, so Maryland's decision ended a delay that had lasted more than three years.
The principal dispute involved western land claims. Maryland objected that states with extensive claims beyond the Appalachian Mountains could become disproportionately powerful. It wanted those lands transferred to the United States rather than retained by individual states. Virginia and other states eventually made concessions that helped resolve the dispute.
The Articles had been submitted to the states in late 1777. Virginia was the first state to ratify, on December 16, 1777. Under the Articles, Congress had one vote per state and limited powers, a structure that later encouraged calls for a stronger federal government and led to the Constitutional Convention.