Which document served as the foundation for American law before the current Constitution was established?

The Articles of Confederation served as the foundation for American law before the current Constitution was established in 1789. Ratified in 1781, the Articles created a framework for governance in the newly independent states, establishing a confederation of sovereign states that agreed to work together for mutual benefit. This document defined the powers of the national government and emphasized the autonomy of each state, which influenced the latter development of the Constitution.

While the Articles of Confederation laid the groundwork for governance, they also revealed significant weaknesses, such as the lack of a strong central authority and issues related to taxation and interstate disputes. These shortcomings ultimately led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the current Constitution was drafted to create a more robust federal government capable of addressing the needs of the country.

The other documents listed—like the Magna Carta, which established principles of limited government and the rights of individuals, the Federalist Papers, which were a series of essays advocating for the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, which declared the colonies' intention to separate from British rule—played crucial roles in American history but did not serve as the governing legal framework prior to the Constitution.