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William H. Ragsdale
Member From: 1869 - 1871
- Birth Date: ca. 1844 Birth Place:Halifax County, VA
- Death Date: October 16, 1871
- Gender: Male Race: African American
- Spouse: Mary Ann Henderson (m. December 29, 1868)
- Children: Lavant
- Religion:
- Education:
- Military Service:
- Occupation/Profession: Teacher
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Additional Info Links:
Bio from Virginia's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission
Encyclopedia Virginia Biography
- Bio: William H. Ragsdale represented Charlotte County for a term (1869–1871) as one of the first African American members of the House of Delegates. Born enslaved, he learned to read and write, and at his marriage in 1868 gave his occupation as schoolteacher. Elected as a Radical Republican, he voted with the majority to ratify the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and enfranchising African American men. This ratification allowed Virginia to be readmitted to the United States. Ragsdale voted in favor of the Funding Act of 1871 to provide for the payment of Virginia’s antebellum public debt. He was confident of reelection for a second term, but instead he died just three weeks before the election.
| Session | District | District Number | Party | Leadership | Committees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869-1871 | Charlotte | Retrenchment and the Economy |
*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.