Annapolis Convention

Annapolis Convention

The Annapolis Convention was a meeting held in Annapolis, Maryland, in September 1786. The convention was officially titled the Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and draft a proposal to improve the Articles of Confederation, which were seen as inadequate to the needs of the nation.

Background

The Annapolis Convention was called in response to the perceived weakness of the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. The Articles had been adopted during the American Revolutionary War, but by the mid-1780s, many leaders believed that a stronger central government was needed to deal with issues such as interstate trade and national defense.

The Convention

The Annapolis Convention was attended by twelve delegates from five states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia. Notably absent were representatives from the other eight states, which limited the convention's ability to enact comprehensive reform.

Despite the limited attendance, the delegates at the Annapolis Convention made significant progress. They drafted a report, known as the Annapolis Report, which outlined the problems with the Articles of Confederation and proposed a new meeting to revise them. This meeting would later become the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia in 1787.

Impact

The Annapolis Convention was a significant event in the lead-up to the Constitutional Convention. The Annapolis Report was widely circulated and helped to convince leaders in other states of the need for reform. The convention also set a precedent for interstate cooperation and helped to shape the agenda for the Constitutional Convention.

See also

• Articles of Confederation
• Constitutional Convention (United States)
• History of the United States Constitution