Which document created the first government framework for the United States before the Constitution?

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

Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. The states did not complete ratification until March 1, 1781, when Maryland became the final state to approve them. The Articles then served as the country’s governing framework until the Constitution replaced them in 1789.

The system created a league of states with a weak central government. Congress could conduct diplomacy, declare war, manage western lands, and handle other national matters, but it could not directly tax citizens or regulate interstate commerce. There was also no separate executive branch or national judiciary.

Financial problems, disputes among states, and difficulties enforcing congressional decisions encouraged calls for reform. The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced a stronger federal structure. The Articles were not simply ignored; they were formally superseded when the Constitution took effect.