The Second Continential Congress had to choose between a confederation or a unitary system after 'The Declaration of Independence' was signed. By definition a confederation is a loose agreement between independent states for a common goal, on the other hand, a unitary system is based upon the creation of a large centralized authority. The Congress decided on a confederation, namely The Articles of Confederation because a unitary systems' ability to concentrate power reminded them too much of Monarchy. However, by 1786 it was clear that The Articles of Confederation was severely flawed. Under The Articles of Confederation the federal government was at the mercy of state power. For example, the federal government did not have the power to tax, which ultimately left the federal government subject to the whims of the thirteen state governments unable to raise the revenue for its own existence. In essence, The Articles created the new federal government but deprived it of any real power. George Washington had predicted that if The Articles were not revised, the new nation was seriously vulnerable to outside aggression. As a result, The Constitutional Convention was formed in 1787, its goal was to revise The Articles, what transformed was an entire new document; The United States Constitution.