The document that established the first government of the United States was the Articles of Confederation.

Quick Scoop

Under the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen former colonies formed a loose confederation with a very weak national government and most power kept by the states. Adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 and fully ratified in 1781, this “first constitution of the United States” set up the initial national governing framework until it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution in 1789.

Key points:

  • The Articles of Confederation were the first frame of government for the United States.
  • They created a single-branch national Congress with very limited powers (no power to tax directly, regulate trade effectively, or enforce its decisions).
  • Experience with this weak system pushed leaders to later draft the U.S. Constitution, which established a stronger federal government that still operates today.

In modern forum and classroom discussions, people sometimes confuse the Constitution (which set up the current government) with the Articles of Confederation (which set up the first government), but historically they are two separate documents in sequence.

TL;DR: The first government of the United States was established by the Articles of Confederation , in effect from 1781 until the U.S. Constitution replaced them in 1789.

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