What document governed the United States before the Constitution, in the early history marked by America's 250th anniversary?

The Articles of Confederation governed the United States before the Constitution.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777, but all thirteen states had to ratify them before they took effect. Maryland became the last state to ratify the document on March 1, 1781, making the Articles the first written constitution of the United States.

The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained substantial sovereignty. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but it could not directly tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce. There was no separate executive branch and no national court system comparable to those established by the Constitution.

Financial problems, trade disputes, and difficulty responding to national needs led many leaders to seek reform. The 1787 Constitutional Convention instead produced a new framework, which replaced the Articles after ratification. The Articles nevertheless helped organize the revolutionary republic and its western expansion.