What was the first governing document of the United States in the founding era celebrated by America250?

The Articles of Confederation were the first governing document of the United States in the founding era celebrated by America250.

The Continental Congress adopted the Articles in 1777, but all thirteen states had to ratify them before they took effect on March 1, 1781. The document created a “firm league of friendship” among the states and established a national Congress.

Under the Articles, the central government had important weaknesses: it could conduct diplomacy and war, but it could not directly tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce. Each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population. These limitations made national finances and coordinated policy difficult.

The Constitution replaced the Articles in 1789 after delegates met at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The Articles were therefore not the same document as the Constitution, although they were an essential step in the development of the federal government.