Which document established the first U.S. national government before the Constitution?

The Articles of Confederation established the first U.S. national government before the Constitution.

The Articles created a confederation of states during the Revolutionary era. Congress approved the text in 1777, and it became operative on March 1, 1781, after Maryland supplied the final ratification. The system kept most political power with the states and gave Congress limited national authority.

Under the Articles, Congress could manage foreign relations, make treaties, conduct war, and govern western territories. It could not levy taxes directly, regulate interstate trade, or easily enforce its decisions. Each state had one vote in Congress regardless of population, and major measures often required approval from nine states.

The Articles helped organize the United States during the final years of the Revolution and the early postwar period. Their weaknesses became increasingly visible through financial problems and disputes among states. Delegates met in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the system, but they ultimately drafted the Constitution instead.