What was the name of the first written framework of U.S. government, replaced by the Constitution remembered in America250?

The first written framework of U.S. government was the Articles of Confederation, replaced by the Constitution remembered in America250.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777, during the Revolutionary War. They became effective on March 1, 1781, after Maryland became the final state to ratify them. The Articles created a “league of friendship” among the states and established a Congress rather than a separate executive branch.

Under this system, each state had one vote in Congress, regardless of population. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but it could not directly tax individuals or regulate interstate commerce. The national government’s limited financial and enforcement powers made it difficult to address debts, trade disputes, and military needs.

The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 to revise the national system, but it produced an entirely new Constitution. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and replaced the Articles after ratification took effect in 1789.