Annapolis Convention Facts & Worksheets

The Annapolis Convention, formally titled a Meeting of Commissioners, was a national political convention held September 11-14, 1786, at Mann’s Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland, in which twelve participants from five United States met to deliberate and develop a consensus on reversing the protectionist trade barriers that each state had erected.

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Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• A dozen commissioners from five states met at Mann’s Tavern in Annapolis, located across the street toward the Maryland state house, on September 12, 1786. Their mission was to debate legislation to allow the Confederation Congress to control interstate and foreign commerce. 
• Instead, when the commissioners reconvened two days later, they voted for a different resolution. They summoned the states to send representatives to a second convention in Philadelphia in May 1787.
• The Philadelphia Convention would “take into account the circumstances of the United States, and create such additional provisions as shall appear to them essential to make the constitution of the Federal Government sufficient to the requirements of the Union.” 
• The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention would then report their proposed changes to Congress as possible amendments to the Confederation. Furthermore, the Annapolis commissioners constituted a small yet politically astute group. They included John Dickinson, the primary author of the Articles of Confederation; Alexander Hamilton, George Washington‘s aide-de-camp for the majority of the Revolutionary War; James Madison, a former member of Congress and Virginia legislator; and Edmund Randolph, who would soon become governor of Virginia. Each believed that the Articles of Confederation needed amending and that the United States required a genuinely national government.
• Furthermore, every prior attempt to win the unanimous consent of all thirteen state legislatures, a requirement to change the Articles, had failed. As a result, the Annapolis Convention was a watershed point in the push for constitutional revision. 

AMENDMENTS

• Those who believed the Articles of Confederation made the Continental Congress inadequate to govern effectively pursued a piecemeal reform strategy, hoping that adopting individual amendments would reduce public dread of further changes. 
• In February 1781, the first proposed amendment was sent to the states. It would have empowered Congress to levy an impost (or duty) on imports, which it could then use to entice foreign governments and investors to lend money to the US. This amendment was defeated when Rhode Island declined to adopt it, and Virginia reversed its support.
• After extensive debate, Congress proposed an additional set of financial amendments in April 1783, including a revised impost and a proposal to allocate the union’s combined expenses among the states based on population rather than land values, as the Articles required, resulting in every enslaved African American counting as three-fifths of a free person. 
• A year later, Congress proposed two more amendments giving it some jurisdiction over interstate and overseas commerce. Meanwhile, British imports flooded American marketplaces, jeopardizing American artists’ livelihoods.
• None of these amendments received the unanimous approval of all thirteen legislatures states. One particular issue was the strong opposition of Rhode Island, one of the country’s smallest states. 
• Nonetheless, Congress was still debating more modifications in the summer of 1786 when a committee headed by Charles Pinckney issued a report with another half-dozen recommendations.

REFORMS

• A new avenue to reform had developed in Virginia. Madison began encouraging his colleagues to support the idea of handing Congress the permanent authority to regulate commerce at the outset of the 1785 Virginia legislative session. 
• Moreover, the assembly reduced the idea to the point where Madison thought it would be better to do nothing than pursue a strategy that appeared too weak to work. However, as the session came to a close, a resolution was introduced seeking a statewide convention to consider the concept of providing Congress adequate jurisdiction over commerce. 
• In the early spring of 1786, when the Virginia commissioners decided to assemble in Annapolis in September, Madison changed his mind.
• Madison stated in a letter to James Monroe, who had taken his position in the Virginia congressional delegation, that “the efforts of bringing about a correction through the medium of Congress have failed” and that some other tactic should be used. 
• If the planned convention is successful in this initial attempt, it may be repeated: “as the public mind becomes prepared for additional remedies.”

CONVENTION

• The concept of holding a convention to propose amendments to the Constitution remained unconfirmed. The rules for amending the Articles of Confederation were somewhat detailed. Furthermore, changes were required to be made by Congress with the support of a supermajority of nine states and then approved by all thirteen legislatures. Even hosting a convention might be viewed as an affront to Congress, undermining its power. Some members were envious of the states and opposed concentrating authority on the national government.
• On the other hand, the officer class of the Continental Army, possibly the one group whose harsh experience throughout the war left them most disposed to favor a dramatic strengthening of national authority, were its foremost advocates. 
• For instance, no one better understood the Confederation’s flaws because they had witnessed how difficult it was for Congress to assemble appropriate supplies, money, and troops from the states from year to year. Their leader-in-chief, George Washington, was a Virginia gentleman, but beginning in 1776, he was also a staunch nationalist. These nationalist sentiments were shared by Alexander Hamilton. He represented the New York legislature and the Continental Congress in 1782-1783 after surrendering his commission in the Continental Army.
• Meanwhile, the deteriorating political environment forced the judgments that Hamilton, Madison, and the other Annapolis commissioners ultimately shared by the summer of 1786. 
• It was not merely a radical shift in political tactics but also posed a desperate risk with an uncertain conclusion. The Continental Congress was essentially insolvent, and most states refused to levy and collect the taxes required to meet the union’s financial responsibilities. 
• Overall, the Annapolis Convention appeal was a risky gamble taken by twelve leaders who had no idea how it would come out. No one knew how the Philadelphia Convention would have been able to overcome the problems that the teetering republic faced in the spring of 1787.

Annapolis Convention Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Annapolis Convention across 24 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Annapolis Convention. The Annapolis Convention, formally titled a Meeting of Commissioners, was a national political convention held September 11-14, 1786, at Mann’s Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland, in which twelve participants from five United States met to deliberate and develop a consensus on reversing the protectionist trade barriers that each state had erected.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Annapolis Convention Facts 
2. Box Out
3. Who are They?
4. Led by Dickinson
5. Dig That Meaning!
6. Annapolis CONvention
7. #Secret_Message
8. AnnaPOLL Opinion
9. Take a Stand!
10. AnnaPolicy Making
11. #FairTrade

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Annapolis Convention?

The Annapolis Convention was a meeting of delegates from five states held in Annapolis, Maryland, from September 11 to September 14, 1786. The main purpose of the convention was to address the issues arising from the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation and to discuss ways to improve the commercial relations among the states.

Why was the Annapolis Convention significant?

The Annapolis Convention is significant because it laid the groundwork for the Constitutional Convention that would take place the following year in Philadelphia. Although it did not achieve its initial goal of resolving the commercial disputes among the states, it highlighted the necessity of revising the Articles of Confederation and led to the call for a larger convention to address the broader issues facing the United States.

How many states were represented at the Annapolis Convention?

Only five states sent delegates to the Annapolis Convention. These states were Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. The limited representation was one of the reasons the convention did not achieve its intended objectives.

Who were some of the key delegates at the Annapolis Convention?

Notable delegates at the Annapolis Convention included Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, both of whom would go on to play significant roles in the Constitutional Convention. While the convention did not have a large attendance, the presence of these prominent figures helped in garnering support for the idea of a more comprehensive constitutional gathering.

What was the outcome of the Annapolis Convention?

The primary outcome of the Annapolis Convention was the issuance of a report and a recommendation to hold another convention the following year in Philadelphia. The report, drafted by Alexander Hamilton, called for all states to send delegates to discuss and propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation. This subsequent convention, known as the Constitutional Convention, eventually led to the drafting of the United States Constitution in 1787, fundamentally altering the structure of the American government.

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