1786

1786 (MDCCLXXXVI) was a year in the late 18th century marked by prominent political developments in North America and notable cultural events in Europe. In the United States, the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation continued to be a focus of debate as leaders sought ways to stabilize the new nation and promote commerce and security.

The Annapolis Convention, held September 11–14, 1786 in Annapolis, Maryland, brought together delegates from five states to discuss trade and navigation under the Articles. Although limited in attendance and effect at the time, the convention produced a report that called for a broader, interstate convention to address the broader constitutional framework, eventually leading to the Philadelphia Convention of 1787.

Shays' Rebellion began in August 1786 as farmers in western Massachusetts protested debtors’ prisons, taxes, and foreclosures. Led by Daniel Shays, the armed uprising highlighted economic distress and perceived weaknesses of governance under the Articles, reinforcing calls for stronger central authority and contributing to the momentum toward constitutional revision.

In the cultural sphere, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro premiered in Vienna on May 1, 1786. The work, a collaboration between musical genius and a sharp social sensibility, became one of the era’s enduring masterpieces and reflected the high point of the Classical period in European music.