Which document precedes the United States Constitution in American history?

The Articles of Confederation are the document that precedes the United States Constitution in American history. Adopted in 1781, the Articles served as the first constitution for the newly independent states following the American Revolution. They established a confederal government that provided a framework for the new nation, but ultimately proved to be inadequate in addressing the various challenges faced, such as lack of centralized power to regulate commerce and enforce laws.

The inadequacies of the Articles led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where the current Constitution was drafted to create a stronger federal government. Understanding the Articles is essential as they highlight the weaknesses that the Founding Fathers sought to resolve with the new Constitution.

Other options, while significant in American history, do not precede the Constitution. The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 in England and influenced later constitutional thought but is not an American document. The Federalist Papers were written in the late 1780s to promote the ratification of the Constitution and are related but subsequent to its creation. The Bill of Rights, which consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was ratified in 1791 and thus comes after the Constitution itself.