What was the first constitution of the United States before the current Constitution?

The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles in 1777, but all 13 states had to ratify them before they could take effect. Maryland became the final state to ratify the document on March 1, 1781, completing the process.

The Articles created a league of states with a deliberately weak central government. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but it lacked an independent power to tax or regulate interstate commerce. Those limitations made national finances and coordinated policy difficult.

The current Constitution replaced the Articles after the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. It began operating in 1789 and created a stronger federal system with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.