W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2012 A Bold Promise: Black Readjusters and the Founding of Virginia State University Leigh Alexandra Soares College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, African History Commons, Other Education Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Soares, Leigh Alexandra, "A Bold Promise: Black Readjusters and the Founding of Virginia State University" (2012). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539626691. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-r9nh-jg79 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. A Bold Promise: Black Readjusters and the Founding of Virginia State University Leigh Alexandra Soares Newton, Massachusetts Bachelor of Arts, Duke University, 2010 A Thesis presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of History The College of William and Mary May 2012 APPROVAL PAGE This Thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Q h d m A ia. A m A jiA - Leigh Alexandra Soares Approved bV the Committee, Manph 2012 Committee Chair Professor Melvin Ely./tistory The College of Williarrr& Mary Associate Professor Robert Vinson, History The College of William & Mary Associate Professor LairffieKoloski, History The College of William & Mary ABSTRACT PAGE This thesis examines the active role of Virginia’s African American population in the Readjuster Party, which dominated state politics from 1880 to 1884.