Which document created the U.S. federal government that replaced the Articles of Confederation?

The United States Constitution created the federal government that replaced the Articles of Confederation. Delegates signed it in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, after months of debate over representation, executive power, commerce, and federal authority.

The Constitution established three branches of government: Congress, the presidency, and the federal judiciary. It also created a system of checks and balances and divided powers between the national government and the states.

The Articles of Confederation had left the national government unable to tax directly, regulate interstate commerce effectively, or respond uniformly to crises. The Constitution went into operation in 1789 after nine states ratified it. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and are therefore additions to the Constitution rather than the document that created the government.