The plan for the union was laid out in the Articles of Confederation, which was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781. The Articles of Confederation established a loose confederation of independent states, with a weak central government. The Articles of Confederation provided for a unicameral legislature, with each state having one vote, and a weak executive branch. The Articles of Confederation also provided for a system of courts, and a system of taxation. The Articles of Confederation were replaced by the Constitution of the United States in 1789.