In early United States history, which framework is usually considered the first national government of the United States after independence?

Introduction / Context:
When studying the political development of the United States, it is important to remember that the present Constitution was not the first framework for a national government. After declaring independence, the former colonies needed some central structure to coordinate the war effort and manage common affairs. The system they created, known as the Articles of Confederation, shaped the early national experience and influenced later constitutional debates. This question checks whether you can identify that first national government framework correctly.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The topic is the first national government of the United States after independence.
• Options mention an unwritten arrangement, the Articles of Confederation, a so called Founding Government and a none of the above choice.
• You are expected to know basic chronological order in United States constitutional history.
• Independence is assumed to have been declared in the late eighteenth century, with later constitutional changes to follow.

Concept / Approach:
The Articles of Confederation were drafted during the American Revolution and fully ratified in the early 1780s. They created a weak central government, often called the Congress of the Confederation, in which each state had one vote and there was no separate executive branch or national court system. This system is generally described as the first national government of the United States. It later proved inadequate and was replaced by the United States Constitution, which established a stronger federal structure. Therefore, the correct approach is to link the phrase first national government with the Articles of Confederation rather than with the later Constitution.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Declaration of Independence in 1776 did not itself create a detailed national government structure. Step 2: Remember that the Articles of Confederation were drafted and adopted during the Revolutionary War as a formal plan for joint governance. Step 3: Note that under the Articles, the main body was the Congress of the Confederation, which acted as the central authority. Step 4: Understand that the later United States Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified afterward, replacing the earlier system. Step 5: Choose the option that explicitly identifies the government created by the Articles of Confederation as the first national government.

Verification / Alternative Check:
Standard textbooks and exam guides regularly state that the first national government of the United States operated under the Articles of Confederation from roughly 1781 to 1789. They contrast its weaknesses, such as lack of power to tax and regulate commerce, with the stronger federal government created by the Constitution. No serious source describes an unwritten founding government separate from the Articles or labels the constitutional system of 1787 as the first national government. These consistent descriptions across many references confirm that the answer lies with the Articles of Confederation framework.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option about the United States in Congress Assembled under a vague unwritten agreement is misleading because the Congress of the Confederation operated under the written Articles of Confederation. The so called Founding Government directly under the Constitution in 1776 is incorrect because the Constitution was drafted later, not the year of the Declaration. The none of the above option is also wrong because the widely accepted historical view is that the Articles of Confederation did indeed create the first national government. These alternatives either distort chronology or ignore well established terminology.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes jump straight from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution and forget that there was an intermediate experiment with a looser confederation. Another common mistake is to confuse the Congress under the Articles with the later Congress created by the Constitution and to assume that both existed under a single framework. To avoid these errors, keep a clear timeline that marks the Articles of Confederation period separately, followed by the constitutional period. This will help you answer sequence and definition questions accurately.

Final Answer:
The first national government of the United States after independence was the government created by the Articles of Confederation adopted during the Revolutionary era, so that option is correct.