What was the first constitution of the United States, in force from 1781 until 1789 during the founding era?

The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States, in force from 1781 until 1789 during the founding era.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777. All 13 states had to ratify them, and Maryland’s approval on March 1, 1781, finally brought them into effect. The document formally called the union the United States of America and created a national government centered on a one-house Congress.

The Articles gave Congress important responsibilities, including diplomacy, war, and relations with Native nations, but provided no separate executive branch or national judiciary. Congress also lacked power to impose direct taxes or regulate interstate commerce, leaving the government financially weak.

The Articles were replaced by the Constitution on March 4, 1789. They are sometimes called a “failed” system, but they helped govern the United States through the Revolutionary War’s final years and the transition to constitutional government.