What document served as the first governing charter of the United States from 1781 to 1789?

The Articles of Confederation served as the first governing charter of the United States from 1781 to 1789.

The Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777, but they required unanimous state approval. Maryland became the final state to ratify them, on March 1, 1781, bringing the document into force during the Revolutionary War. The Articles created a “firm league of friendship” among the states.

Under this system, Congress handled diplomacy, war, and western territories, but it had no independent power to tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce. There was no separate executive branch or national judiciary. Each state had one vote in Congress regardless of population, and major decisions required unusually broad agreement.

Financial weakness, trade disputes, and events such as Shays’ Rebellion encouraged calls for reform. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 produced a replacement rather than a simple amendment. The Constitution took effect in 1789, ending the Articles’ role as the national governing framework.