Answer:
D. held the country together prior to the implementation of the Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Articles of Confederation was the first agreement that the 13 original states of the United States created, and this served as their first Constitution. The articles were approved by the Second Continental Congress and came into force in 1781. This document, however, was problematic, as it created a very weak central government in an attempt to protect the sovereignty of each state.