5. How did West Virginia become a state?

Answer: It separated from Virginia

 

The United States was in Civil War during the years of 1861 – 1865. Virginia had succeeded the union to join the Confederacy. Many people in the northwestern counties of Virginia had more of an alliance with the Union. Virginia did not allow the northwestern and western counties to separate. People in the northwestern part of Virginia considered the political offices of Virginia vacant because they were aligned with the Confederacy. As a result, a new government of Virginia was formed. It was based out of Wheeling. It claimed to be the official government of the entire state of Virginia. At this time, there were two governments representing the state of Virginia. One was aligned with the Confederacy (Richmond) and one was aligned with the Union (Wheeling). The government offices of Wheeling were recognized in Washington, D.C. The Wheeling government gave permission to the northwestern counties to separate from Virginia, forming the new state of “West Virginia.”

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