Before the constitution was drafted, the 13 colonies operated under the governing set forth by which document?

A. The Articles of Confederation
B. The Principle of Government
C. The Democratic Articles
D. The Federalist Papers
E. The Declaration of Independence

Answer: A. The Articles of Confederation
Before the Constitution was drafted and signed in 1787, the 13 colonies operated under the Articles of Confederation, which was a governing document created shortly after the Declaration of Independence. It had many issues in need of revision, including the almost non-existent power of the federal government over the states. The US Constitution was written to address this and other issues.