The Articles of Confederation (1777)

The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. Created by the Continental Congress in 1777 it featured a loose confederation or union of sovereign states. In contrast to Britain’s Parliament, the Articles strictly limited the power of the national government. Despite this weakness the United States successfully won the Revolutionary War under the Articles. In 1787 a Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia and created our present plan of government, the U.S. Constitution which then replaced the Articles.