The Articles of Confederation created the first national government of the United States before the Constitution.
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles in 1777, but they did not take effect until all 13 states ratified them in 1781. The document established a confederation in which the states retained substantial sovereignty. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage certain national matters, but it lacked several powers associated with a strong central government.
Under the Articles, Congress could not directly tax individuals, regulate interstate commerce, or easily enforce its decisions. Each state had one vote in Congress regardless of population. Changing the Articles required unanimous approval from the states, making reform extremely difficult.
These weaknesses encouraged the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The convention created the Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification. The Articles therefore belong to the transition between wartime independence and the federal system whose origins are remembered during America’s 250th anniversary.