Join the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society for its Sunday Afternoon Lecture Series and discover a secret chapter in Virginia’s Reconstruction era history with “Readjusting the Old Dominion: The Forgotten Rise and Fall of Virginia’s Readjuster Movement” with Hunter Haskins on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 3:00 P.M., at the Historic Henry County Courthouse.

Haskins will share the powerful story of the Readjusters, a long-forgotten 1880s Virginia political movement that achieved remarkable socioeconomic reforms for both white and black Americans. Formed to battle the Commonwealth’s crippling debt crisis and its impact on public services, the Readjusters oversaw a transformative period in the state’s educational and infrastructural development that welcomed and benefited citizens of all races and backgrounds. However, following four years of political dominance from 1879-1883, the movement met a history-making end that, for more than a century, was stricken from Virginia history books. Who were these incredible Readjusters, and what legacy do they leave us today?

Admission to the lecture is free. The Historic Henry County Courthouse is fully handicapped accessible. The Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Museum will be open following the presentation.

Haskins is the Assistant Director of the Salem Museum. A graduate of Roanoke College, he double majored in History and Political Science while pursuing a concentration in Public History. He taught history and epistemology previously at the Carlisle School and worked as a docent, interpreter, and blacksmith for the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. He serves as Secretary of the Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society.