Which document was adopted by the newly independent United States to organize the national government after declaring independence?

The Articles of Confederation was the first governing document adopted by the newly independent United States to organize its national government after declaring independence in 1776. It served as the framework for the national government from 1781 until it was replaced by the current Constitution in 1789.

The Articles were designed to create a loose confederation of states, granting limited powers to the central government while emphasizing the independence and sovereignty of the individual states. This reflected the prevailing sentiment of the time, as many Americans were wary of a strong central authority due to their experiences under British rule. The Articles established a Congress with the power to make decisions on certain issues, but it lacked the authority to enforce laws or impose taxes, which ultimately led to various challenges in governance.

In contrast, the Northwest Ordinance was a piece of legislation passed after the Articles of Confederation that established a method for admitting new states to the Union and addressed the governance of the Northwest Territory, but it was not the founding document of the national government. The Mayflower Compact was an agreement created by the Pilgrims in 1620 to establish a self-governing colony in New England, but it predates the U.S. Declaration of Independence and was not a national document. The