Which document did the Constitution replace?

The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, which was the first governing document of the United States. The Articles were adopted during the Revolutionary War in 1781 but proved to be inadequate for managing the challenges faced by the new nation, such as economic instability, lack of a strong central government, and difficulties in governance and interstate relations.

The need for a more robust framework led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the Constitution was drafted. This new Constitution established a stronger federal government with separate branches, providing checks and balances to ensure effective governance. While other documents mentioned, such as The Federalist Papers, The Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence, are significant in American history, they were either supplementary to the Constitution or foundational documents that predated it. Thus, the Constitution's role in replacing the Articles of Confederation is fundamental to understanding the evolution of U.S. governance.