Which document served as the foundation for the U.S. Constitution?

The Articles of Confederation served as the foundation for the U.S. Constitution because they represented the initial framework for the governance of the United States following independence. Adopted in 1781, the Articles established a confederation of sovereign states that retained most of their independence while delegating certain limited powers to a central government. However, the weaknesses of the Articles became evident, particularly in areas such as federal authority and taxation. This led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the U.S. Constitution was designed to address these shortcomings and create a more effective national government.

The Declaration of Independence, while a significant historical document declaring the colonies' separation from British rule, does not lay out a framework for governance and thus does not serve as a foundation for the Constitution. The Federalist Papers are a series of essays written to advocate for the ratification of the Constitution and provide insight into the framers' intentions, but they were published after the Constitution was drafted. The Magna Carta, while influential in the development of constitutional principles, predates the American Constitution and primarily concerns the limitation of royal power in England rather than serving as a direct foundation for U.S. governance structures.