▁the ▁first ▁constitution ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁was ▁draft ed ▁by ▁the ▁Second ▁Cont inental ▁Congress ▁from ▁mid - 1 7 7 6 ▁through ▁late ▁ 1 7 7 7 , ▁and ▁rat ification ▁by ▁all ▁ 1 3 ▁states ▁was ▁completed ▁by ▁early ▁ 1 7 8 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁Articles ▁of ▁Confeder ation ▁gave ▁little ▁power ▁to ▁the ▁central ▁government . ▁ ▁The ▁Confeder ation ▁Congress ▁could ▁make ▁dec isions , ▁but ▁lack ed ▁enfor cement ▁powers . ▁ ▁Im plementation ▁of ▁most ▁dec isions , ▁including ▁modifications ▁to ▁the ▁Articles , ▁required ▁un anim ous ▁appro val ▁of ▁all ▁th ir teen ▁state ▁legisl atures . ▁ ▁Although , ▁in ▁a ▁way , ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁powers ▁in ▁Article ▁ 9 ▁made ▁the ▁" le ague ▁of ▁states ▁as ▁coh es ive ▁and ▁strong ▁as ▁any ▁similar ▁sort ▁of ▁republic an ▁conf eder ation ▁in ▁history ", ▁the ▁chief ▁problem ▁was , ▁in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁George ▁Washington , ▁" no ▁money ". ▁ ▁The ▁Cont inental ▁Congress ▁could ▁print ▁money ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁worth less . ▁ ▁Congress ▁could ▁borrow ▁money , ▁but ▁couldn ' t ▁pay ▁it ▁back . ▁No ▁state ▁paid ▁all ▁their ▁U . S . ▁tax es ; ▁some ▁paid ▁nothing . ▁ ▁Some ▁few ▁paid ▁an ▁amount ▁equal ▁to ▁interest ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁deb t ▁ow ed ▁to ▁their ▁citizens , ▁but ▁no ▁more . ▁No ▁interest ▁was ▁paid ▁on ▁deb t ▁ow ed ▁foreign ▁govern ments . ▁By ▁