During the Civil War, West Virginia was admitted into the Union as the 35th state. When Virginia voted to secede after the outbreak of the Civil War, the majority of the people living in the western part of Virginia opposed the secession. Delegates met at Wheeling, and on June 11, 1861, nullified the Virginian ordinance of secession and proclaimed “The Restored Government of Virginia,” headed by Francis Pierpont. West Virginian statehood was approved in a referendum and a state constitution drawn up.
In April 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the admission of West Virginia into the Union effective June 20, 1863.
When Virginia decided to secede from the Union, West Virginia became the only state to declare its independence from the Confederacy and the only state to gain statehood by Presidential proclamation.
Happy Birthday, West Virginia — “Mountaineers Are Alway Free.”
— 30 —