Confederation, Articles of

In US history, the initial means by which the 13 former British colonies created a form of national government based on a loose confederation of states. Ratified in 1781, the articles established a unicameral legislature, Congress, with limited powers of raising revenue, regulating currency, and conducting foreign affairs. Fearing the consequences of a powerful central government, the articles recognized state sovereignty. However, because the individual states retained significant autonomy, the confederation was unmanageable. The articles were superseded by the US Constitution, ratified in 1788.

The Articles of Confederation did maintain the union of states during the American Revolution and, to their credit, enacted the Northwest Ordinance (1787), which among other measures, guaranteed freedom of religion and prohibited slavery in the new territory.