Alexander Hamilton Visits Maryland

As the Tony award-winning musical, Hamilton: An American Musical continues to entertain audiences across the country, it’s important to remember the moment the actual Hamilton came to Maryland in 1786 to address the profound challenges of the Articles of Confederation.

The Annapolis Convention, or the “Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government,” was held over several days in mid-September of 1786 at Mann’s Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland. Twelve delegates from five states gathered at the Tavern to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation which had governed the young nation since the end of the Revolutionary War.

At this Convention, it was Alexander Hamilton, who introduced a resolution to hold a convention of the states that would,
“…devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union…
In short, the Annapolis Convention set the events in motion that led to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and the drafting of the Constitution which guides our nation to this day.

Mann’s Tavern Today

Regrettably, Mann’s Tavern, where this momentous event transpired was largely lost to fire in 1919 with just one gable wall still standing today. Prior to its loss, Mann’s Tavern had been visited by many of the nation’s early leaders, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe and Alexander Hamilton. The location of the Tavern at 162 Conduit Street in Annapolis is marked by a plaque placed by The Maryland Society, Sons of the American Revolution in 1986.