After Congress accepted the Articles of Confederation, they were submitted to the states for:

1. A national document still needed state approval. 2. The final draft of the Articles was accepted by Congress in November 1777. 3. It was submitted to the states for ratification. 4. Only then would it take effect. _Source: OpenStax American Government 4e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 'The Constitution and Its Origins'_