What was the first plan of government called? Who wrote it and what did it do?

The first plan of government for the United States was the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were drafted by the Continental Congress and were adopted on November 15, 1777, during the American Revolution. The primary author of the Articles of Confederation was John Dickinson.

The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government with limited powers. Some key features of the Articles of Confederation include:

1. Unicameral Legislature: The central government consisted of a unicameral (single-chamber) legislature where each state had one vote.
2. Limited Central Authority: The central government lacked the power to levy taxes, regulate trade, or enforce laws.
3. No Executive or Judicial Branch: There was no separate executive branch or national court system.
4. State Sovereignty: States retained a significant degree of sovereignty and independence.

While the Articles of Confederation provided a framework for the United States during the Revolutionary War, it became evident that the central government was too weak to effectively govern the nation. This led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where the U.S. Constitution was drafted to replace the Articles of Confederation, providing for a stronger central government with a system of checks and balances.