Which agreement created the first governing framework for the United States before the Constitution?

The Articles of Confederation created the first governing framework for the United States before the Constitution.

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777. They became effective after Maryland supplied the final ratification on March 1, 1781, during the Revolutionary War. The document established a “firm league of friendship” among the states and created a national Congress.

Under the Articles, Congress could conduct diplomacy, manage western territories, and declare war, but it lacked several powers associated with a strong central government. It could not directly tax individuals or regulate interstate and foreign commerce, and important decisions often required a large supermajority.

Economic difficulties, interstate disputes, and concerns exposed by events such as Shays’ Rebellion contributed to calls for reform. Delegates met at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and produced the Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification.