Constitution

The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the original 13 states that served as its first constitution. Its drafting by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in 1776, and an approved version was sent to the states for ratification. The federal government received only those powers which the colonies had recognized as belonging to king and parliament.

The Articles formed a war-time confederation of states, with an extremely limited central government. While unratified, the document was used by the Congress to conduct business during the American Revolution.