The Jaybird-Woodpecker War was between two political factions in Fort Bend County, Texas. The origin of the conflict can be traced back to Reconstruction when African Americans, who comprised 80% of the population in the county, dominated politics. That domination was reflected in the election of Walter Moses Burton in 1869 as the first Black county sheriff in the nation. At one point in Reconstruction, more than 50% of the county offices were held by Black men. Nonetheless, economically whites still dominated, owning 80% of the country’s land and leaving the vast majority of Black residents as sharecroppers Continue reading Revisit: THE JAYBIRD-WOODPECKER WAR (1888-1889)