Annapolis

Annapolis at Its Colonial Peak

In the 1760s and early 1770s, Annapolis was widely considered the most sophisticated city in British North America south of Philadelphia. Its tobacco wealth funded the Hammond-Harwood, Paca, and Chase-Lloyd mansions. This prosperity gave Maryland's founders the education and classical reference points that shaped their vision of republican government.

Burning of the Peggy Stewart

On October 19, 1774, Annapolis patriots burned the brig Peggy Stewart and its 2,320 pounds of taxed tea, forcing merchant Anthony Stewart to set fire to his own vessel. Maryland's equivalent of the Boston Tea Party, this act marked the point at which the Patriot faction moved from protest to direct action.

Maryland Delegates Sign the Declaration of Independence

Maryland's four delegates — Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton — signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776. Carroll's inclusion was notable: as a Catholic facing British legal disabilities, his signature carried particular personal risk. He outlived all other signers, dying in 1832 at age 95.

Maryland State House Dome Completed

The Maryland State House dome was completed in 1779, becoming the largest wooden dome in America and a Chesapeake Bay navigation landmark. Its completion despite wartime material shortages reflected Maryland's commitment to civil government. The building had been under construction since 1772.

Maryland Ratifies the Articles of Confederation

Maryland was the last state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, holding out until Virginia agreed to cede its northwestern territory claims. Maryland's ratification on March 1, 1781 brought the Articles into force, creating the first formal government of the United States.

Newburgh Conspiracy and Washington's Response

In March 1783, anonymous letters circulated among officers at Newburgh urging them to march on Congress. Washington defused the crisis with a speech in which he apologized for needing his reading glasses, remarking he had grown old in the service of his country. The emotional effect reportedly ended the conspiracy. The Newburgh episode was the direct backdrop for Washington's resignation at Annapolis nine months later.

Annapolis Serves as National Capital

From November 1783 through August 1784, Annapolis served as the seat of the Continental Congress — the de facto national capital. Congress had fled Philadelphia in June 1783 after unpaid Pennsylvania veterans surrounded the State House. During the Annapolis session Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris and received Washington's resignation.

Washington Resigns His Commission

On December 23, 1783, George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief before the Continental Congress in the Maryland State House. The ceremony was precisely choreographed — Washington bowed to Congress; Congress nodded rather than bowing back, asserting civilian supremacy. After handing his commission to Thomas Mifflin, he left for Mount Vernon, arriving home on Christmas Eve. Thomas Jefferson, watching from the gallery, called it the greatest act of Washington's life.

Continental Congress Ratifies Treaty of Paris

On January 14, 1784, the Continental Congress in the Maryland State House ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War and establishing internationally recognized borders from the Atlantic to the Mississippi. The ratified document was sent to Europe for exchange with the British copy, completing the diplomatic conclusion of the war. Maryland observes January 14 as Ratification Day.

Annapolis Convention of 1786

Twelve delegates from five states met at Mann's Tavern in Annapolis to discuss commercial regulation under the Articles of Confederation. Too small to accomplish its stated purpose, the convention produced Hamilton and Madison's call for a broader convention the following year. That call produced the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Annapolis Convention matters most because it recognized its own failure and used that failure as a catalyst for constitutional reform.