The first constitution of the United States was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.

Quick Scoop

  • The Articles of Confederation were drafted in 1777 during the Revolutionary War as a framework to unite the thirteen states in a loose alliance.
  • Congress adopted the Articles on November 15, 1777, but all thirteen states did not fully ratify them until March 1, 1781.
  • Under the Articles, the national government was intentionally weak : there was no separate executive branch, no national judiciary, and Congress had no power to tax or regulate interstate commerce.
  • This system created a “league of friendship” among sovereign states, meaning each state kept most of its own power and independence.
  • Problems under the Articles—such as financial chaos, interstate trade disputes, and the inability to enforce national laws—pushed leaders to call the 1787 Constitutional Convention.
  • The U.S. Constitution written in 1787 replaced the Articles of Confederation and created a stronger federal government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

In short: When people ask “what was the first constitution of the United States,” the historically accurate answer is the Articles of Confederation , not the later U.S. Constitution that took effect in 1789.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.