What document served as the first constitution of the United States before the Constitution took effect?

The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States before the Constitution took effect.

The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles in 1777, and all 13 states ratified them by March 1, 1781. They created a confederation in which the states retained substantial sovereignty while Congress handled matters such as war, diplomacy, and western territories.

The Articles established a deliberately weak central government. Congress had no independent power to tax, no executive branch, and no national judiciary. It also could not easily compel states to provide money or obey congressional decisions. These weaknesses became increasingly apparent after the Revolutionary War.

Delegates meeting at the 1787 Constitutional Convention originally received instructions to revise the Articles, but they instead proposed an entirely new governing document. The Constitution replaced the Articles on March 4, 1789. America250 focuses on the 1776 Declaration, but understanding the Articles explains how the new nation developed its later federal system.