Readjuster Party facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Readjuster Party
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| Founded | 1877 |
| Dissolved | 1895 |
| Preceded by | Democratic Party |
| Merged into | Republican Party |
The Readjuster Party was a political group formed in Virginia in the late 1870s. This was a challenging time after the Reconstruction era, when the state faced many problems. The party brought together people from different backgrounds, including both white and African American citizens.
The Readjusters wanted to reduce the large amount of money Virginia owed. They also aimed to lessen the power of wealthy white men, especially those who owned large farms. A big goal was to improve public education for everyone. Their ideas gained support from both white and African American communities.
The party was led by Harrison H. Riddleberger, a lawyer, and William Mahone, a former general and railroad president. Mahone was a very important figure in Virginia politics until 1883. That year, the Readjusters lost control to white Democrats.
While in power, the Readjuster Party successfully reorganized Virginia's debts. They also put more money into schools, especially for African American students. African Americans were even hired as teachers. The party increased funding for what is now Virginia Tech. They also created Virginia State University, a college for African American students. The Readjusters got rid of the poll tax, which had stopped many poor people from voting. They also ended the public whipping post. Because more people could vote, Danville elected a town council with a majority of black members. The town also hired a police force that included both white and black officers, which was new for the time.
How the Readjuster Party Started
After the American Civil War, Virginia adopted a new state constitution and rejoined the United States in 1870. The state government then passed a law called the Funding Act of 1871. This law said Virginia would pay back its old debts from before the war. The state issued bonds, which are like IOUs, to cover most of this debt.
Before the war, Virginia had invested a lot of money in building canals, roads, and railroads. By 1861, these investments were worth about $46 million. But during the American Civil War, many railroads were destroyed. Also, some western counties separated from Virginia to form West Virginia. Much of the remaining railroad and canal system was in West Virginia.
Virginia needed to rebuild its transportation system to help its economy grow. The state needed money to pay its debts and run the government, especially to fund public schools. Public schools were a new idea in Virginia, only required by the state constitution since 1870. However, the Funding Act of 1871 had a problem: it allowed people to use bond coupons to pay their taxes. This greatly reduced the money the state collected. By the end of the 1870s, the state was paying its bond debts but not paying teachers or local schools.
Many of Virginia's old debts were owed to banks and investors in the Northern states. This made the issue of debt repayment very complicated. People who wanted to change the debt repayment plan were called "Readjusters." Those who wanted to pay the full debt, plus interest, were called "Funders."
The Readjuster Party promised to "readjust" (change) the state debt. They also wanted to get rid of the poll tax, which made it hard for black people and poor white people to vote. They promised to put more money into schools and other public services. Schools, especially those for black children, did not have enough money. In 1878, Readjusters tried to pass a law to stop using bond coupons for taxes. But the governor at the time, Frederick W.M. Holliday, stopped it.
After the Civil War, William Mahone tried to connect many southern Virginia railroads to the port of Norfolk, Virginia. But his railroad company faced problems and went bankrupt in 1873. This financial crisis hurt Virginia's economy badly.
Mahone then became a key leader of the Readjuster Party. The party held a meeting in 1879 and won control of the Virginia General Assembly (the state legislature) that same year. Mahone created a group that included Democrats and Republicans, with both white and black supporters. He wanted to reduce Virginia's pre-war debt and make West Virginia pay its fair share. West Virginia's share of the debt was finally settled in 1915.
Readjusters Take Power
The Readjusters won control of the state legislature in 1879 and again in 1881. They elected their candidate, William E. Cameron, as governor. Cameron had been the mayor of Petersburg. He served from 1882 to 1886. Governor Cameron made sure tax laws were enforced more fairly, which helped small businesses and farmers.
During the Readjusters' time in power, many judges on the Virginia Supreme Court had their terms end. The Readjuster-controlled legislature chose Readjusters to replace them.
In 1882, Harrison Riddleberger helped pass a law in the Virginia General Assembly that reorganized the pre-war debt. This law said that about one-third of the debt was West Virginia's responsibility. Governor Cameron signed this law, and the U.S. Supreme Court later agreed with it. However, the people who held the bonds continued to argue against this decision.
The state legislators also elected Mahone as a U.S. Senator. He served one term, from 1881 to 1887. In Congress, he mostly voted with the Republican Party. Fellow Readjuster Harrison H. Riddleberger was also elected to the U.S. Senate, serving from 1883 to 1889.
The Party's End
When a Democrat, Grover Cleveland, became U.S. President in 1884, the Readjusters lost their influence in Virginia. The power shifted to what became the Democratic Party.
The Readjusters lost control of the state legislature in 1883. This happened after race riots in Danville, Virginia, just before the election. A Democrat, Fitzhugh Lee, became governor in 1885. The Readjuster Party also weakened partly because they appointed two formerly enslaved men to the Richmond school board.
The state legislators elected a Democrat, John W. Daniel, to replace Mahone in the U.S. Senate in 1886. Other Democrats then took over the remaining Readjuster seats. In 1892, the General Assembly passed a law that finally stopped people from using bond coupons to pay state taxes.
The Readjuster Party also faced problems because of laws against mixed-race marriage. After the party disappeared, the Republican Party in Virginia became much weaker. The Democratic Party then took over and passed Jim Crow laws in the Virginia Constitution of 1901/2. These laws included things like forbidding people convicted of minor theft from voting. This effectively stopped most black people and some poor white people from voting. These laws also created racial segregation in public places like schools and transportation. Black people could not serve on juries or run for office. Most black people could not vote until the mid-1960s, when the civil rights movement led to new federal laws that protected voting rights and ended segregation.
