Which document governed the United States before the Constitution was ratified?

The Articles of Confederation governed the United States before the Constitution was ratified.

The Articles created the first national government of the United States. The Continental Congress approved the document in 1777, but it did not become effective until March 1, 1781, when Maryland became the 13th and final state to ratify it. Under the Articles, the states retained most governmental power while Congress handled diplomacy, war, and western territories.

The system had serious weaknesses. Congress could not impose taxes directly, regulate interstate commerce, or easily enforce its decisions. Each state had one vote in Congress regardless of population, and important measures required large supermajorities. These problems encouraged calls for a stronger federal structure.

The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 and produced the Constitution, which replaced the Articles after ratification. The Articles are sometimes confused with the Declaration of Independence, which announced separation from Great Britain, or with the Constitution, which established the current federal framework.