Jesse Dungee Explained

Jesse Dungee (circa 1812 - August 1884) was a shoemaker, leeching practitioner, minister,^[1] community leader, and state legislator in Virginia.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} He was a Republican during his state legislative service.^[6] He served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1871 to 1873.

Dungee was born in King William County. He was of mixed heritage, and he was born outside of slavery. He married and had numerous children.^[7] He was related to Shed Dungee who also served in the House.^[8] He married Mary Jane Custalo in 1830.^[9] John Riley Dungee, an educator, was one of his sons.^[10] He was a leader of the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in West Point, Virginia.^[11]

In 1876, a few years after leaving the Virginia House of Delegates, he left the Republican Party and joined the Democratic Party. In an announcement of his party switch, he explained that he desired "full and manlyreconciliation" between black and white Virginians. Although he was born outside of slavery, he claimed he was enslaved earlier in his life; this was an attempt, as scholar Stephen Robinson writes, to better connect with black Virginians as a Democrat, a party seen by his contemporaries as elitist.^[12]

Further reading

• Robinson . Stephen . The Black New South: a study of local black leadership in Virginia and Alabama, 1874-1897 . 2010 . Department of History, University of Southampton . PhD .

Notes and References

1. Book: Turner, Nicole Myers. Soul Liberty: The Evolution of Black Religious Politics in Postemancipation Virginia. February 20, 2020. UNC Press Books. 9781469655246 . Google Books.
2. http://mlkcommission.dls.virginia.gov/lincoln/pdfs/bios/dungey_jesse.pdf
3. Book: Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction. Eric. Foner. November 16, 1993. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-507406-2 . Google Books.
4. Book: Jackson, Luther Porter. Negro Office-holders in Virginia, 1865-1895. November 16, 1945. Guide Quality Press. 9780598580269 . Google Books.
5. Web site: Jesse Dungey (ca. 1820–1884). Ervin L.. Jordan.
6. Web site: House documents. November 16, 1875. Google Books.
7. Web site: House History. history.house.virginia.gov.
8. Book: Nicholas, Carolyn Dungee. Hilda. November 16, 2010. AuthorHouse. 9781438992174 . Google Books.
9. Web site: Random Rhymes, Formal and Dialect, Serious and Humorous, Racial, Religious, Patriotic and Sentimental. John Riley. Dungee. November 16, 1929. Guide Publishing Company, printers. Google Books.
10. Book: Caldwell, Arthur Bunyan. History of the American Negro and His Institutions. November 16, 1921. A. B. Caldwell Publishing Company. 9781548569402 . Google Books.
11. Book: West Point. William J.. Addison. Kathryn Jewett. Hogenson. September 24, 2012. Arcadia Publishing. 9780738592732 . Google Books.
12. Robinson . Stephen . "To think, act, vote, and speak for ourselves": Black Democrats and Black "Agency" in the American South after Reconstruction . Journal of Social History . 48 . 2 . 2014 . 363–382 . 10.1093/jsh/shu076.