What was the United States’ first constitution before the Constitution of 1787?

The Articles of Confederation were the United States’ first constitution before the Constitution of 1787.

Officially titled the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the document created a loose union of the states during and immediately after the American Revolutionary War. Congress approved the final text on November 15, 1777, but the Articles did not take effect until March 1, 1781, after Maryland became the final state to ratify them.

The system gave Congress important responsibilities, including diplomacy, war, and western territory management, but it provided no independent power to tax or regulate commerce. Those limitations made national finances and coordination difficult.

The Articles were superseded by the Constitution on March 4, 1789. The Constitution created a stronger federal structure with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Articles nevertheless established the legal framework under which the new nation completed the Revolutionary War.