What document served as the first governing charter of the United States before the Constitution honored by America250?

The Articles of Confederation served as the first governing charter of the United States before the Constitution honored by America250.

The Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777. They created a confederation in which the individual states retained most of their sovereignty. The national government had a Congress but no separate executive branch and no national judiciary.

All thirteen states had to approve the document before it could take effect. Maryland became the last state to ratify it, completing the process on March 1, 1781. The Articles then provided the legal framework for the United States during the final years of the Revolutionary War and the early postwar period.

The system had serious weaknesses, including Congress’s inability to levy taxes directly or regulate interstate commerce effectively. Financial troubles and political unrest contributed to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Constitution replaced the Articles in 1789, creating a stronger federal structure.