Nov. 17, 1777: Congress submits the Articles of Confederation for ratification

Monday 17 November 2008

On Nov. 17, 1777, Congress submitted the Articles of Confederation, having been signed two days prior, for ratification by the states. The debate over the final articles had been ongoing for the past 16 months, and although Congress submitted the document on this day, total ratification did not happen until 1781 after years of debate between Virginia and Maryland over land claims. The nation was governed under the Articles of Confederation until the U.S. Constitution began governing in 1789. Many Americans living under the articles had come to realize that the system was not adequate for the task of governance of the nation.