The Readjusters: Virginia's Radical Reformers
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- Опубликовано: 13 июн 2024
- For a brief moment, ex-Confederates teamed up with ex-slaves to stick it to the rich...and for some reason West Virginia?
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00:00 - Reconstruction
01:17 - State of politics in the 1870s
05:10 - Forming of the Readjuster Party
07:56 - Readjuster rule in Virginia
09:32 - The Danville Massacre and Backlash
10:58 - After the Readjusters
Sources:
- “The Danville Riot.” Richmond Dispatch, November 4, 1883, Morning edition.
- Mahone's Tavern and Museum
- Moore, James Tice. Two Paths to the New South: The Virginia Debt Controversy, 1870-1883. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 1974.
- Pearson, C. C. “The Readjuster Movement in Virginia.” The American Historical Review 21, no. 4 (July 1916): 734-49.
Music used:
"Americana" by Kevin MacLeod
found at www.incompetech.com
So basically they wanted the country roads to take the debt home to the place it belongs
I...can't really dispute that!
yes, to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River... in Virginia
@1224ChrisNg next you gonna tell me the indus river isn't in India?
Country roads, take debt home, to the place, it belongs! West Virginia
@@aarohalme1020 *West Virginia
The Readjusters found the one thing all Virginian factions hated more than each other: West Virginians.
Wow. That's actually a pretty good insight.
I don't blame them
I think a lot of Virginians in the rural areas prefer West Virginians to NoVA residents
@@adi2.054 not really. A few years ago West Virginia offered to let Frederick County join them, hoping that the county's conservative nature would make them feel more at home there. But the conservative people of Frederick County derided it thoroughly, because they would rather be swamped by godless city liberals than become part of West Virginia.
@@adi2.054 I think most virgians hate NoVA (they are just an extension of DC)
Correction: I said Virginia Tech when I meant Virginia State University.
Sometimes the unexpected can happen, at least for a little while.
Such as me.
Is it purely a coincidence or have you also been listening to Well There's Your Problem? They had a tangent about this in the episode last week
@@greg_mca I am a fan of the podcast but their mentioning of the Readjusters was a fun coincidence.
This has been quite a dark historic moment for the city of Danville in the Tri-State Area
You are kind of right. Virginia Tech was founded by the Morrill Land-Grant Universities Act of 1862, the same act as Virginia State University. They both have the unique aim of serving the entire Commonwealth with agricultural extensions and research stations through the later Hatch Act and Smith-Lever Act - they also receive a portion of federal funding. Virginia Tech was predominantly white and has an independent Corps of Cadets (and therefore it is a Senior Military College like Texas A&M), however, and Virginia State University is a Historically Black University (HBCU) but they are nonetheless counterparts. Interestingly, Virginia's first black representative, John Mercer Langston, from Virginia's 4th district, was also VSU's first President.
So basically the conversation between Virgnia and West Virginia:
"Aren't you Virginia?"
"Yup"
"And this is the debt"
"Yup"
"I found this debt when we were under your control. And if that's the case, this must be your debt"
"That makes sense to me"
"Then take it!"
*"IT'S NOT MY DEBT!"*
Surely they would have said "Ain't you Virginia?"
FINALLY! A major RUclipsr willing to share the story of the Readjuster Party! As a Virginia resident, I learned about these guys at my private high school, and am furious they're not better known. One thing you could have mentioned is that a number of Readjusters also wanted to bring more industry into the state to diversify the economy. This ENRAGED many of the old Southern planter elites because it meant their societal power could have been broken forever. This combined with the cultural/economic reforms you mentioned is why they were so determined to crush Mahone at all costs. What makes the story even more incredible though is that Virginia was not the only case where the poor whites and freed blacks revolted together against the old system, North Carolina had the "Fusion Party" (which also found significant electoral success for a time) and I've heard Alabama and Mississippi tried to form their own coalitions as well. I've actually begun to refer to the era from 1877-1897 as "The Battle for The South", since it was a HUGE struggle for those states' cultural and economic futures. It's tragic Mahone and others weren't able to prevail.
They couldn't. Antebellum South was an oligarchic society, as only a small percentage of white people owned slaves, but they had enormous political powers and thus they could mobilize whites without slaves to defend slavery system. The war defeated the slave owners, robbed their slaves free, and burned some of their plantations. But for those who had riches and power before, always had a head start in regaining them.
Mahone basically went the way of Longstreet. If they had monuments to them, those two are two I feel comfortable defending in 100% good conscience.
I've always been a bit weary of saying stuff like "why didn't I learn this is school," but genuinely, I've lived in Richmond my entire life. How is this the first time I'm hearing about this?
everytime I hear about reconstruction I just get more disappointed that it ended so soon; if that didn't happen the US would be so much better right now
The federal government's two biggest mistakes with Reconstruction were this: Not seeking to rapidly industrialize as much of the South as possible, and not emphasizing literacy programs widely enough. Part of the reason the Confederates got so much support is because the poor whites in the South were often illiterate, thus they were ripe for manipulation and deception. By giving them the ability to read, they would be greatly empowered and able to better interpret facts for themselves, thus avoiding the trap of Lost Cause propaganda. As for industrialization, this would have broken the power of the planter elites, brought the South into modern capitalism, and opened up innumerable jobs for the common people, black and white alike. With so many jobs and ability to gain economic empowerment, racial tensions would likely have been much lower, and working together in factories might have even accelerated racial tolerance. Just look at Mississippi and what heavy industry could have done for it (ESPECIALLY the Delta region). Its namesake river could have given it export abilities to markets across the nation and even the world. Tragically, in many areas it never got it, hence why the state is so poor and the people have so few job opportunities. The South could have become an economic POWERHOUSE if the Union took it seriously and pushed hard enough. As it was, the planter elites and their associates were able to hold onto power and stir up racial hatred so that they could stay in control for many decades to follow.
@@thunderbird1921 hindsight 100
@@thunderbird1921
Literacy wouldn't really have helped things.
@@IkeOkerekeNews why not?… is it because it didn’t help you at all?
@@bolasblancas420 the most literate people of the world were the germans, and well, WWII...
huh, and I thought Bourbons were named after the conservative monarchists in France/Spain, who supported the Bourbon Monarchy and aristocracy with old philosophies.
While an easy mistake to make, it doesn't track with history. By 1870, the Bourbons were out of power in both France and Spain. Also the Bourbon Democrats would have disagreed heavily with their Bourbon Monarchist counterparts. And to top it off, most Bourbon Democrats were of British decent, so them being named after a French Dynasty wouldn't make much sense.
Note: The drink IS named after the dynasty, but the faction is named after the drink.
It might have been a reference to nobility and feudalism, which if we're honest is what the antebellum South honestly was (with the planter elites being the nobility and many of the poor whites being the serfs, together with the slaves). It's partially why so many Germans came to America from Central Europe (with several of my ancestors among them), and why they so strongly supported the Union during the Civil War. The German Americans, more than almost anyone else, saw what the Confederacy REALLY was.
Americans wouldn't, in general, be aware of details like that because they originate from outside America.
Really wish Reconstruction lasted longer
They have solved racism by going after John Denver’s clickbait 🙏🙏🙏
West Virginia's history is so underrated. From the Civil War to Blair Mountain (which you should make a video on!)
It sure is. West Virginia is rich in history. From its Pre-Historic Geology to the labor wars in the 20th century, that are the reasons why our jobs today feel tolerable. As a West Virginia resident who study WV history in middle school. It shocked me that people never heard about the Matewan massacre or the Battle of Blair Mountian because I took it as fact and assumed everyone knew about these events.
@@sammccullough1255 People don’t know about it because the anti-Union anti-labor upper class don’t want you to know!
What the Readjusters were doing was basically the New Deal before the New Deal.
as a native of virginia, and being born in danville. it's nice to know this little bit of history of my hometown, and you tackled the subject very nicely.
Love the video and research, good job!
I'm actually talking a Virginia history class rn and we just learned about the Readjusters. Good work.
One mistake: Virginia State was the historically Black college, not Virginia Tech. VSU was created as a separate but equal segregationist counter to VT.
I'm a Virginian, how have I never heard of this? Edit: I'm halfway through the video and wtf these readjuster dudes are more progressive than our current state government, they held a majority at one point? And the governor and both senators, this is crazy. And rhey even built virginia tech, I'm literally going there next year. Why did we talk so much about Jamestown and all of that boring stuff in history class, this is so cool and seems like a pretty relevant part of Virginia history if their impact can still be felt so directly as them having built the college I'm going to next year. And, just got to the part about Danville. Of course something so good couldn't last... ugh. At least they got a lot of good done while they were in office (although considering the sorry state West Virginia is in, I kinda feel bad that we made them deal with the debt, even if simultaenously it does make sense that if they were part of Virginia, they should get part of Virginia's debt)
He misspoke, Virginia State not Virginia Tech
Are you going to make a video on the tigray war?
Eventually.
We need fun names like this today
This is an interesting video about a topic I didn't really know about.
The political history of the South between Appomattox and the rise of Jim Crow (ca. 1890-1900) is much more complicated than is often taught.
Even the states that were solid Democrat after the end of military reconstruction ca. 1877 had feuding factions within the Democratic Party., often pitting different ex-Confederates against each other.
In Tennessee, there was a bit more unity among the ex-Confederates because the Radical Republicans under Parson Brownlow were so extreme during the late 1860s; but certainly by the mid 1870s you had a lot of Democratic factionalism between Andrew Johnson's followers (who narrowly got Johnson sent back to the US Senate briefly before his death) and those of different Confederate generals.
Texas also had both Bourbon and Redeemer factions within the Democratic Party in the 19th century (and Progressives toward the end of the century).
South Carolina in the late 19th and early 20th centuries had pro and anti- Tillman factions in the Democratic Party.
Often we’re taught in history about the bad things that have happened. Sometimes the good things that have happened become as shocking as the bad stuff.
very cool history. never knew about this party. Wish they had stayed around in Virginia longer, sounds like they did a lot of good things in the short time they had in power.
I just listened to the well there your problem episode on east Palestine so this is a welcome surprise
I wish there was a show or miniseries just about this period: 1865-1877.
So much to be discussed and talked about.
I deadass read the title and actually just thought: "What the hell is a 'read-juster'".
How did they get West Virginia to take on the debt?
Was that Atun Shei reading the newspaper clip?
Dang, the Readjucters were pretty cool.
This is why you don't allow defeated enemies to stay capable of revenge. All of this backlash could have been avoided if only the planter class had been wholly annihilated through expropriation and deportation/incarceration.
The ones who should’ve been deported were the ex-slaves, there was already Liberia set up for them. It would’ve been better for all involved, unfortunately money and the Feds hunger for power (satiating it by giving Blacks the vote) got in the way of that, plus the arrogance/ignorance of Black “leaders,” some things never change it seems.
Considering that abrogating a state's portion of the national debt is one of the major reasons unilateral secession isn't feasible, it's darkly funny that Virginia would say "Hey WV, what about your portion of the state debt from when you seceded from VA?"
You kind of gloss over Carpetbaggers. I get the impression Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction were almost all tarred as Carpetbaggers, regardless of the sincerity of their motives. Which is obviously unfair. However, some were definitely trying to financially exploit the situation or were otherwise corrupt.
4:50 That's quite a large building, but it doesn't look large, it looks like a small building but just next to extremely tiny people. Like, why are the doors and windows so big? That building looks like it was built to at least 1.5 times the size it should be.
yh, it looks you could fit 2 storeys + a small attic inside..
Love the music from Democracy 3
A fascinatingly title for radicals
Within 7 hours!
ngl the Readjusters had peaked my attention the other day but I didn't want to read the wiki, then u make a vid on it
Pretty sure Virginia Tech was not a black college. Probably thinking of Virginia State.
Idk why but it is trippy to me that West Virginia was still paying off that debt until 1939.
West Virginia: Yay we paid off that debt!
A few moments later
America: Welp time to get involved in a world war (again)
I just realized you sound like a well adjusted Kermit
Country road. Take me home. To the place. Where I belong.... WEST VIRGINIA!
Make a reaction video to history of the world i guess and histeria's invasion song
Make breakup of Yugoslavia pls
Within 5,200 views!
the read-justers?
Maybe slavery never ended. Maybe the industry just went thru a reconstruction period.
8:59 It's not a HBCU.
Me tooooooooooo
Dude you really churched up what carpetbaggers were doing
I'm surprised Virginia Tech started as an African-American university. It might actually be the most famous of them, even though today it's a standard public university.
I really hope their football team becomes good again.
He misspoke and meant to say Virginia State University
The Readjustors are directly responsible for the rise of company towns in West Virginia and the resulting Coal Wars. A line can be drawn from 1871 all the way to 1921 with the Battle Of Blair Mountain fifty years after the Readjustors first proposed their plan. The reason being is that West Virginia had no ability to create smaller industries after being saddled with the debt since they couldn't create tax incentives. That left only timbering, railroads, and mining as industries that could expand. This is evident in the rush of construction of things like the Parkersburg Bridge built in 1869, the original 1870 Charleston Capitol Building, the massive Martinsburg Depot expansion built in 1867 for the Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and the expansion and domination of the Wheeling La Belle Ironworks starting in 1864, all of which halted growth come 1871. It took until 1885 for construction of a large portion of infrastructure and public works to begin again, and by then the mining companies had already shackled towns like Keyser and Williamson in the southern portion of the state.
As a native West Virginian and a history buff my hatred of the Readjustor Party runs deep. They put us into seventy years of debt and cost tens of thousands of lives just because they didn't want to lose out on ten years of economic growth.
Holy crap I love when Southerners are successfully radical (fast) progressives. I am not talking about social ideas but about good politicians using clever methods of political reform that appeal to a larger population of voters. It's important to note that they are only good politicians because don't end up hurting the demographics of conservatives, (compared to progressives, not contrasting liberals) because that's just unfair and doesn't make make it all too clever. No matter what politicians believe in if they cared about all of their citizens (and showed that in their decisions) AND satisfy the majority they are good politicians, it shouldn't matter what vague notions of party or ideological allegiance they show. I wish more people would participate in this type of politicking rather than being shy versions of twitter gremlins.
I feel like some people will read this comments and immediately ponder that it all doesn't matter because it all falls back again... don't be a debby downer, that's not really accurate because last time I checked America hasn't gotten back to colonialism after just a few years, exactly the same philosophy that gets weirdos into fascism, and I highly doubt Virginia would be better if they didn't do their actual main goal of cutting debt and improving education. I just think about things like this and like to flaunt my own ideas because they're cool and better than some other vocal people's' ideas. PotFriend
Are you sure Bourbons were named for the drink, not for the European royal family? The latter sounds like an insult you'd use against 'old money conservatives', which is what this faction sound like.
I think we should start calling centrists “Mugwumps” again
I would definitely be a Stalwart in the reconstruction era
I see William Mahone on the thumbnail, I watch the video. Simple.
Edit: YOU DID NOT JUST SAY "MAH-HONE" INSTEAD OF "MUH-HONE"
Commenting 4 algorithm
Let's reinstate Reconstruction.
Unfortunately, we might actually need this.
Does that imply a second civil war to reconstruct first?
Why
Better yet, how about we wake up as to who is dividing us and why. The common people, black, white or tan will give themselves more power than ever before once they do.
I'm part of an alternate history collab woth the Readjusters being a major party of an independent South.
Sounds like a fascinating timeline.
@@ocularzombie6679 Yeah, unrealistic, but really interesting nevertheless.
"similar backlashes" Oh gee I wonder what you could be referring to, do you think this was clever and subtle?
The carpetbaggers were opportunistic and exploitative.
And planters arent?
The new hoi4 dlc “by blood alone” is cool. You should make a video about it
“Weren’t as politically solid as they are now”
Hahaha hahahaha Ha.
Sorry but no.
Political Party ideologies are as solid as pudding.
First like.
Whenever someone asks me what l am:
"I'm a Virginian."
Why not American? This is why.
Will be a proud Virginian 'til the day l die.