Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first written constitution of the United States, debated by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia between July 1776 and November 1777, finalized on 15 November 1777, and brought into force on 1 March 1781 once all thirteen states had ratified it. It established a loose confederation of sovereign states joined together for common defense and mutual welfare, with a weak central Congress that lacked the power to levy taxes, regulate interstate commerce or enforce its own laws, leaving most governing authority with the individual states. The document guided the United States through the final years of the Revolutionary War and the early years of independence, but its central government's weaknesses, especially its inability to raise revenue or respond effectively to interstate disputes and unrest such as Shays' Rebellion, convinced many leaders that a stronger framework was needed. It was superseded when the United States Constitution came into force on 4 March 1789.