flickr photo by annalynnc

By Nirvi Shah

On January 30, 1781, Maryland was the thirteenth and final state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, which took effect on March 1, 1781.  In comparison to the current U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation designated less control to a central government, leaving most of the power with state governments.  Due to the need for a stronger central government, the U.S. Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.

Here are a few books in the Law Library where you can learn more about U.S. History and the Articles of Confederation:

• The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774 – 1781
  • By Merrill Jensen
• The Lure of the Land: A Social History of the Public Lands from the Articles of Confederation to the New Deal
  • By Everett Dick
• Understanding the Constitution: with comments on the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Structure and Practices of American Government
  • By Edward S. Corwin and J.W. Peltason
• The U.S. Constitution and Related Documents
  • By Stephen Vincent Brennan
• The American Beginnings
  •  By Virginia Commission on Constitutional Government.
• The Original Argument: The Federalists’ Case for the Constitution, Adapted for the 21^st Century
  • By Glenn Beck and Joshua Charles

Here are some additional links to online sources:

• Text of the Articles of Confederation provided by Yale Law School
• A photo of the original Articles of Confederation
• A Background on the Articles of Confederation by the Library of Congress