The Articles of Confederation Adoption Anniversary marks November 15, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress agreed upon America's first written constitution, establishing the name 'The United States of America'.
Following the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, the Second Continental Congress recognized the urgent necessity of a formal constitutional framework to organize military alliances, borrow money, and conduct foreign policy during the Revolutionary War against Great Britain. After more than a year of intense parliamentary debates over western land claims, state sovereignty, and voting representation, Congress adopted the 'Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union' in York, Pennsylvania on November 15, 1777. The document formally established a 'league of friendship' among the thirteen sovereign states and established the official title 'The United States of America'. While the structural weaknesses of the Articles—including the lack of executive authority, inability to levy taxes, and absence of a federal judiciary—later prompted the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention of 1787 to frame the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation successfully guided the fledgling nation through the War of Independence and established foundational federal principles such as the Northwest Ordinance.
