Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement between the thirteen original states of the United States of America. It served as the first constitution. The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777. They were not ratified, however, until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a confederation of sovereign states and left the bulk of power with state government. Thus, the central government was weak. Over time, the necessity of a strong Federal government became apparent.