What was the first document to serve as the United States’ national constitution?

The Articles of Confederation were the first document to serve as the United States’ national constitution.

The Second Continental Congress approved the Articles on November 15, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. They did not take effect until March 1, 1781, after Maryland became the final state to ratify them. The Articles created a confederation in which the states retained most political power.

The system allowed Congress to conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage certain national affairs, but it gave the central government no general power to tax individuals. Congress also lacked a separate executive branch and a national court system. These limitations made it difficult to pay debts, regulate commerce, and enforce national decisions.

The Constitution replaced the Articles in 1789. The two documents are therefore not interchangeable: the Articles were the first governing framework, while the Constitution established the stronger federal structure that remains in force. The Articles continued formally until the new government began operating.