Essays on Articles of Confederation

November 15, 1777

First constitution for the United States that was replaced by the current United States Constitution on March 4, 1789.

The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States, which served as a bridge between the initial government by the Continental Congress of the Revolutionary period and the federal government provided under the U.S. Constitution of 1787.

The Articles were written in 1776–77 and adopted by the Congress on November 15, 1777. By 1779 all the states had approved the Articles of Confederation except Maryland. However, the document was fully ratified by the states on March 1, 1781.

The Articles of Confederation contain a preamble, thirteen articles, a conclusion, and a signatory section. On paper, the Congress had power to regulate foreign affairs, war, and the postal service, to appoint military officers. However, the Congress was not strong enough to enforce laws or raise taxes and by the end of 1786 governmental effectiveness had broken down.