Articles of Confederation
This established the first governmental structure uniting the thirteen states that fought in the American Revolution. It declared America independent from the British. Also it wanted to ensure that each state stayed with the same foreign policy. It started March 1, 1781 and lasted only until March 4, 1789. Soon after the United States Constitution took its place. http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html