Which document replaced the Articles of Confederation as the U.S. governing framework, shaping the nation remembered by America250?

The United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation as the nation’s governing framework, completing a major chapter in the founding history recalled by America250.

Delegates met in Philadelphia from May to September 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation. They instead produced an entirely new plan creating a stronger federal government with legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.

Ratification required approval by nine states. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, and the federal government began operating under the Constitution in March 1789. The document has since been amended 27 times.

The Constitution did not itself declare independence; that was the purpose of the 1776 Declaration. Nor did it immediately settle every political conflict. The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, added the first ten amendments and addressed concerns about individual liberties and federal power.