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

The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution governing the United States before the current Constitution.

The Second Continental Congress finalized the Articles on November 15, 1777, during the Revolutionary War. They created a “firm league of friendship” among the states while leaving most governing power with the individual states. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, and manage western territories, but it could not directly tax citizens or regulate interstate commerce.

All thirteen states had to ratify the document before it could take effect. Maryland became the final state to ratify it on February 2, 1781, and the Articles became operative on March 1, 1781. Weaknesses exposed after the war, including financial problems and difficulty responding to unrest, encouraged the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The current Constitution replaced the Articles on March 4, 1789.