What was drafted before the constitution?

Before the U.S. Constitution was drafted, the Articles of Confederation served as the first governing document of the United States, ratified in 1781. The Articles established a weak central government, granting most powers to the individual states, which led to various challenges, including economic instability and interstate disputes. The inadequacies of the Articles prompted the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where the current Constitution was created to provide a stronger federal framework.