The first time a unified government structure went into effect was March 1, 1781, when the Article of Confederation went into effect to unify into one country the 13 colonies that fought in the Revolutionary War . The Articles of Confederation were an extremely flawed document that ceded many rights and liberties to individual states and not enough power to a centralized government. The main problem with the Articles of Confederation was that they left the national government powerless to enforce any laws they might pass. Under the Articles of Confederation, each state printed its own money and there was no national economy. Eventually the Articles of Confederation were replaced by the United States Constitution, which is still the governing document of the United States today. As the weakness of the Articles became apparent, people began to desire changes in their government. Eventually, as more states gained interest, meetings were held in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. This was the Constitutional Convention. Many were very suspicious of the intentions of the convention. They suspected that this was a ploy by some to create a strong central government that would limit individual freedoms and could endanger the freedom of individuals. George Washington was appointed to preside over the convention, which was a good thing as Washington was an extremely trustworthy man, and having him preside eased the fears of some attendees. Initially the intentions of the convention were to make necessary changes to the Articles of Confederation. It was quickly realized that this would not be enough and that it would be necessary to create a completely new document, this... medium of paper...... which safeguards and protects our rights and freedoms as citizens and it provides the framework for how our government is run. Recognizing how impossible it would be for one government to be able to govern and protect all the people of a great nation, the Constitution addresses the principles of individual liberty and limited government. The Constitution protects the rights of all citizens, regardless of religion and ethnic group, and allows people of different backgrounds to live peacefully in the same nation. References: Johnson, C. H. (2003). TRIBUTE TO CLIO: HISTORICAL CONTINUITY FROM THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION TO THE CONSTITUTION. Constitutional Commentary, 20(3), 463-513. Brown, B. (2013). THE FIGHT OVER THE CONSTITUTION. Junior Scholastic, 116(2), 10.Nankin, F. (1995). The Constitution of the United States. Pebble, 16(1), 10.