Articulation agreements have been part of the American educational scene for well over 100 years. Initially implemented as a tool for more effectively and efficiently delivering liberal educations, they became more common as the numbers of community colleges grew during the 1960s and 1970s. During the mid-1980s, the universal education promise of open enrollment was seen by many as a way of "dead-ending" minority students. This perception attracted much scholarly attention and foundation funding. It also resulted in many efforts to improve minority transfer, including negotiated articulation agreements. The past decade has seen higher education expenses increase more rapidly than other state expenses. Articulation agreements are attractive during such periods because of their cost savings potential. Scholars and administrators involved in developing these agreements can prepare themselves for discussions and negotiations by understanding some of the reasons why they have varied in popularity and utility. This literature review analyzed the sociocultural and historical contexts affecting articulation. It also sought answers to research questions addressing the chronological progression and prevalent trends in the development of the processes of articulation, the relationship these trends have to the historical and regional variations in support for articulation agreements, and the levels of student success in articulated programs of study.