What governing framework preceded the United States Constitution during the Revolutionary era?

The Articles of Confederation preceded the United States Constitution as the governing framework of the United States.

The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles in 1777, but all thirteen states had to ratify them before they took effect. Maryland's approval in 1781 completed that process. The Articles created a “firm league of friendship” among the states and established a Congress with limited central powers.

Under the Articles, Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, regulate certain western territories, and manage national matters. It could not directly tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce, and major decisions often required large voting majorities. The national government also lacked a separate executive branch and a federal court system.

Economic problems, disputes among states, and the government's difficulty responding to unrest helped drive calls for reform. The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced a new framework with stronger federal institutions. The Constitution replaced the Articles in 1789, although the Articles remain important for understanding the first national government after independence.