History glossary
Articles of Confederation
the first national constitution of the United States, creating a weak central government under strong state authority.
- Category
- Constitutional document
- Region
- United States
- Date range
- 1781-1789
What it means
The Articles of Confederation created the first national government of the United States. They preserved state sovereignty and gave Congress limited powers, which made wartime coordination possible but left the postwar union financially and politically weak.
