Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, formed the first governing document of the United States of America. They combined the colonies of the American Revolutionary War into a loose confederation. The second Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777, after 16 months of debate. The Articles then languished for another three years before ratification was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles were replaced by the United States Constitution on June 21, 1788, when the 9th state, New Hampshire, ratified the Constitution.

References

• {{note|ratificationletter}}Monday, November 17, 1777, Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. A Century of Lawmaking, 1774-1873
• {{note|washingtonclinton}}Letter George Washington to George Clinton, September 11, 1783. The George Washington Papers, 1741-1799