What document became the first governing constitution of the United States during the Revolutionary War?

The Articles of Confederation became the first governing constitution of the United States during the Revolutionary War.

The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles in 1777, but all thirteen states had to ratify them before they took effect. Maryland’s ratification on March 1, 1781, completed that process. The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained substantial sovereignty while Congress handled diplomacy, war, and certain shared affairs.

The system helped coordinate the final years of the Revolution and the peace negotiations with Britain. However, Congress could not directly tax individuals, regulate interstate commerce, or easily enforce national decisions. These weaknesses contributed to calls for a stronger federal government.

The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification. The two documents are therefore related but distinct: the Articles governed the early United States from 1781 until 1789, while the Constitution established the present federal framework.