What document served as the United States’ first constitution and took effect on March 1, 1781?

The Articles of Confederation served as the United States’ first constitution and took effect on March 1, 1781.

The Second Continental Congress debated the Articles from July 1776 through November 1777. The document created a “firm league of friendship” among the states and gave the Confederation Congress authority over diplomacy, war, western territories, and other shared matters.

The Articles deliberately kept the national government weak. Congress could declare war and negotiate treaties, but it could not directly tax citizens or regulate interstate commerce. Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population, and major decisions required approval from a large supermajority of states.

The Articles helped govern the United States during the final years of the Revolution and the postwar period. Their weaknesses contributed to calls for reform, especially after financial problems and disputes over interstate trade. The Constitution replaced the Articles on March 4, 1789, creating a stronger federal system with separate executive and judicial branches.