---
title: "Articles of Confederation Definition | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Articles of Confederation were the first U.S. constitution, ratified in 1781, establishing a weak union of states with a single-chamber Congress."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/articles-of-confederation"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Articles of Confederation were the first written constitution of the United States, ratified in 1781, creating a weak union of sovereign states with a single-chamber Congress.
- Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?
- How did the Articles differ from the 1787 Constitution?
- What was the Articles' most significant legislative achievement?
- When were the Articles ratified and replaced?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 1786–87, the Confederation Congress could not raise troops to suppress Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts, exposing the union's weakness and spurring James Madison and others to convene the Philadelphia Convention in 1787.

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