After the Civil War, Henry County and Martinsville became a sanctuary for a little-known but significant political movement: the Readjusters. Several Black officials were elected in Martinsville and other parts of Henry County as affiliates of the movement, which challenged the political and social status quo in postwar Virginia.
Hunter Haskins, a member of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society and Heritage Museum Board of Directors, has been researching the Readjusters as part of his passion for history. Inspired by his grandparents’ stories about Virginia before his time, Haskins views the movement as a 19th-century fight against injustice. He believes the Readjusters’ efforts to enfranchise Black Virginians and rebuild the state after the Civil War remain an important but overlooked chapter in Virginia’s history.
The Rise of the Readjusters
The Readjuster Movement emerged as a political force in Virginia in the late 1870s, during a time of financial turmoil. The state had accumulated significant debt from infrastructure projects before the Civil War, sparking fierce debates over repayment. The Readjusters gained their name—and political identity—by advocating for the debt to be “readjusted,” with a portion transferred to West Virginia, which had seceded from Virginia during the war.
The movement brought together an unlikely coalition of working-class whites, African Americans, and former Confederate soldiers, all united by economic concerns and a push for reform.
One of the most striking aspects of the Readjusters was the cooperation between Black and white Virginians on social and economic issues. Even more surprising was the movement’s leadership, which included former Confederate General William Mahone. Known for his fierce determination and willingness to defy mainstream opinion, Mahone became one of the Readjusters’ most controversial figures.
Under Mahone’s leadership, the party supported expanded rights for African Americans, increased public school funding, greater political representation for the working class, and efforts to dismantle the power of the old plantation elite.
Resistance and Political Backlash
The Readjusters’ progressive agenda met fierce resistance from Virginia’s conservative Democrats, who sought to maintain the status quo of racial and economic inequality. Former slave owners and political elites accused the movement of promoting “Black rule” and worked aggressively to dismantle its influence.
Henry County may have played a role in electing John Sergeant Wise, a Readjuster, to office as a representative. However, over time, the county shifted away from the movement, aligning behind Wise when he later ran as a Republican candidate for governor.
The Readjusters’ legacy remains debated among historians. Some argue that their advocacy for Black voting rights was politically motivated, aimed at securing electoral support. Haskins, however, believes the movement’s leaders were sincere in their push for racial and economic reforms, though their efforts predated the more transformative Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Erasing the Readjusters from History
Documenting the history of the Readjuster Movement is difficult due to efforts to erase its legacy after conservative Democrats reclaimed power in Virginia in the 1880s. Mahone and Wise were later remembered for their Confederate service or unrelated political roles, while their involvement in the Readjusters was largely omitted from historical narratives.
As the state’s debt crisis eased, the movement lost its unifying issue, leading to its decline. The term “Readjuster” faded from use, and racial tensions escalated. The 1883 Danville Riot, a violent attack against Black citizens, marked a turning point, as white supremacists used fear and violence to suppress Black political influence. The backlash against the Readjusters may have extended to cities like Martinsville, accelerating the movement’s downfall.
Reassessing the Readjusters’ Impact
Movement in Martinsville.
Despite their erasure from mainstream history, historians continue to study the Readjusters and their role in reshaping postwar Virginia. The movement challenges the common perception that the South was politically monolithic during the late 19th century. Instead, it reveals a period of political experimentation and biracial cooperation, however short-lived, that foreshadowed the broader civil rights struggles of the 20th century.
For those interested in learning more, the Martinsville Historical Society hosts lectures and events at the Old Henry County Courthouse, offering the community a chance to explore forgotten stories of the past.
