![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/West-Virginia-in-the-United-States-300x186.png\" "\\"\\"")
The capital and largest city is Charleston<\/a>.<\/p>\n West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861<\/a>, after the American Civil War<\/a> had begun. \u00a0Delegates from some Unionist counties of northwestern Virginia decided to break away from Virginia, although they included many secessionist counties in the new state.\u00a0 West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key border state during the war. \u00a0West Virginia was the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state, the first to separate from any state since Maine<\/a> separated from Massachusetts<\/a>, and was one of two states admitted to the Union during the American Civil War, the other being Nevada<\/a><\/p>\n A 2010 analysis of a local stalagmite revealed that Native Americans were burning forests to clear land as early as 100 BC.<\/p>\n Tribes which inhabited West Virginia as of the year 1600 were the:<\/p>\n During the Beaver Wars<\/a>, other tribes moved into the region, including the Iroquoian Tiontatecaga<\/a>.\u00a0 The Shawnee<\/a> arrived as well.\u00a0 They were the last Native tribe of West Virginia and were driven out by the United States during the Shawnee Wars (1811-1813)<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 1671, General Abraham Wood<\/a>, at the direction of Royal Governor William Berkeley<\/a> of the Virginia Colony<\/a>, sent a party from Fort Henry<\/a> led by Thomas Batts<\/a> and Robert Fallam<\/a> to survey this territory. \u00a0They were the first Europeans recorded as discovering Kanawha Falls<\/a>.<\/p>\n John Van Metre, an Indian trader, penetrated into the northern portion in 1725. The same year, German settlers from Pennsylvania founded New Mecklenburg, the present Shepherdstown<\/a>, on the Potomac River<\/a>, and others followed.<\/p>\n King Charles II of England<\/a>, in 1661, granted to a company of gentlemen the land between the Potomac and Rappahannock<\/a> rivers, known as the Northern Neck<\/a>. \u00a0Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron<\/a> ultimately took possession of this grant, and in 1746, a stone was erected at the source of the North Branch Potomac River to mark the western limit of his grant. \u00a0A considerable part of this land was surveyed by the young George Washington<\/a> between 1748 and 1751. The diary kept by Washington recorded that there were already many squatters, largely of German origin, along the South Branch Potomac River.<\/p>\n Christopher Gist<\/a>, a surveyor in the employ of the first Ohio Company<\/a>, which was composed chiefly of Virginians, explored the country along the Ohio River north of the mouth of the Kanawha River<\/a> between 1751 and 1752. \u00a0The company sought to have a fourteenth colony established with the name “Vandalia<\/a>“. \u00a0Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. \u00a0Few Native Americans lived permanently within the present limits of the state, but the region was a common hunting ground, crossed by many trails. \u00a0During the French and Indian War<\/a>, Indian allies of the French nearly destroyed the scattered British settlements.<\/p>\n Shortly before the American Revolutionary War<\/a>, in 1774 the Crown Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore<\/a>, led a force over the mountains. \u00a0A body of militia under then-Colonel Andrew Lewis<\/a> dealt the Shawnee Indians, under Hokoleskwa<\/a> (or “Cornstalk”), a crushing blow during the Battle of Point Pleasant<\/a> at the junction of the Kanawha and the Ohio rivers<\/a>. \u00a0At the Treaty of Camp Charlotte<\/a> concluding Dunmore’s War<\/a>, Cornstalk agreed to recognize the Ohio River as the new boundary with the “Long Knives”. \u00a0By 1776, however, the Shawnee had returned to war, joining the Chickamauga<\/a>, a band of Cherokee<\/a> known for the area where they lived. \u00a0Native American attacks on settlers continued until after the American Revolutionary War.<\/p>\n Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern portion of the state. \u00a0The population was not homogeneous, as a considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and included Germans, Protestant Scotch-Irish, and settlers from the states farther north.\u00a0 During the American Revolution, the movement to create a state beyond the Alleghenies was revived and a petition for the establishment of “Westsylvania<\/a>” was presented to Congress, on the grounds that the mountains presented an almost impassable barrier to the east. \u00a0The rugged nature of the country made slavery unprofitable, and time only increased the social, political, economic, and cultural differences between the two sections of Virginia.<\/p>\n The eastern planter elite dominated the legislature and saw to their own interests.<\/p>\n Given these differences, many in the west had long contemplated a separate state. \u00a0In particular, men such as lawyer Francis H. Pierpont from Fairmont<\/a>, had long chafed under the political domination of the Tidewater<\/a> and Piedmont<\/a> slave-holders. \u00a0In addition to differences over the abolition of slavery, he and allies felt the Virginia government ignored and refused to spend funds on needed internal improvements in the west, such as turnpikes and railroads.<\/p>\n West Virginia was the only state in the Union to separate from a Confederate state, Virginia, during the American Civil War.\u00a0 In Richmond on April 17, 1861, the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861<\/a> voted to secede from the Union, but of the 49 delegates from the northwestern corner, which ultimately became West Virginia, only 17 voted in favor of the Ordinance of Secession, while 30 voted against<\/p>\n Almost immediately after that vote, a mass meeting at Clarksburg<\/a> recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in Wheeling<\/a> on May 13, 1861. \u00a0When this First Wheeling Convention met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present.\u00a0 The convention decided that if Virginians adopted the secession ordinance, another convention including the members-elect of the legislature would meet in Wheeling in June 1861. \u00a0On May 23, 1861, secession was ratified by a large majority in Virginia as a whole, but in the western counties 34,677 voted against and 19,121 voted for the Ordinance.<\/p>\n The Second Wheeling Convention met as agreed on June 11 and declared that, since the Secession Convention had been called without popular consent, all its acts were void and that all who adhered to it had vacated their offices. \u00a0The federal government in Washington, D.C. promptly recognized the new government and seated two new senators. \u00a0Thus, there were two state governments in Virginia: one pledging allegiance to the United States and one to the Confederacy.<\/p>\n The second Wheeling Convention had recessed until August 6, then reassembled on August 20 and called for a popular vote on the formation of a new state and for a convention to frame a constitution if the vote should be favorable. At the October 24, 1861 election, 18,408 votes were cast for the new state and only 781 against.<\/p>\n On May 13, 1862 the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. \u00a0An application for admission to the Union was made to Congress, introduced by Senator Waitman Willey of the Restored Government of Virginia<\/a>. \u00a0On December 31, 1862, an enabling act was approved by President Abraham Lincoln<\/a> admitting West Virginia, on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in its constitution.\u00a0 Many felt that West Virginia’s admission as a state was both illegal and unconstitutional.<\/p>\n President Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting the state on June 20, 1863.<\/p>\n During the Civil War, Union General George B. McClellan<\/a>‘s forces gained possession of the greater part of the territory in the summer of 1861, culminating at the Battle of Rich Mountain<\/a>, and Union control was never again seriously threatened, despite an attempt by Robert E. Lee<\/a> in the same year.<\/p>\n After Reconstruction, the new 35th state benefited from the development of its mineral resources more than any other single economic activity.<\/p>\n The border between West Virginia and Virginia includes the “Saltpeter Trail”, a string of limestone caverns containing rich deposits of calcium nitrate<\/a> that were rendered and sold to the government.<\/p>\n The limestone<\/a> from the caves was burned to produce industrial lime<\/a>. \u00a0This lime was used for agricultural and construction purposes.<\/p>\n Salt mining had been underway since the 18th century, though it had largely played out by the time of the American Civil War, when the red salt of Kanawha County<\/a> was a valued commodity of first Confederate, and later Union, forces. \u00a0In years following, more sophisticated mining methods would restore West Virginia’s role as a major producer of salt.<\/p>\n However, in the second half of the 19th century, there was an even greater treasure not yet developed: bituminous coal<\/a>. \u00a0It would fuel much of the Industrial Revolution<\/a> in the U.S. and the steamships of many of the world’s navies.<\/p>\n The residents, both Native Americans and early European settlers, had long known of the underlying coal, and that it could be used for heating and fuel. \u00a0However, for a long time, very small “personal” mines were the only practical development. \u00a0After the War, with the new railroads came a practical method to transport large quantities of coal to expanding U.S. and export markets. \u00a0As the anthracite<\/a> mines of northwestern New Jersey<\/a> and Pennsylvania began to play out during this same time period, investors and industrialists focused new interest in West Virginia.<\/p>\n The completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O)<\/a> across the state to the new city of Huntington<\/a> on the Ohio River in 1872 opened access to the New River Coal Field<\/a>. \u00a0Soon, the C&O was building its huge coal pier at Newport News, Virginia<\/a> on the large harbor of Hampton Roads<\/a>.\u00a0 Other railroads would follow.<\/p>\n As coal mining and related work became major employment activities in the state, there was considerable labor strife as working conditions, safety issues and economic concerns arose. \u00a0Even in the 21st century, mining safety and ecological concerns is still challenging to the state whose coal continues to power electrical generating plants in many other states.<\/p>\n Coal is not the only valuable mineral found in West Virginia, as the state was the site of the 1928 discovery of the 34.48 carat (6.896 g) Jones Diamond<\/a>.<\/p>\n Located in the Appalachian Mountain range<\/a>, West Virginia covers an area of 24,229.76 square miles making it the 41st-largest state in the United States<\/p>\n West Virginia is located entirely within the Appalachian Region<\/a>, and the state is almost entirely mountainous. \u00a0The elevations and ruggedness drop near large rivers like the Ohio River or Shenandoah River<\/a>. \u00a0About 75% of the state is within the Cumberland Plateau<\/a> and Allegheny Plateau<\/a> regions. \u00a0Though the relief is not high, the plateau region is extremely rugged in most areas. The average elevation of West Virginia is approximately 1,500 feet above sea level, which is the highest of any U.S. state east of the Mississippi River<\/a>.<\/p>\n On the eastern state line with Virginia, high peaks in the Monongahela National Forest<\/a> region give rise to an island of colder climate and ecosystems similar to those of northern New England<\/a> and eastern Canada<\/a>. \u00a0The highest point in the state is atop Spruce Knob<\/a>, at 4,863 feet.<\/p>\n Tourism contributed $4.27 billion to the state’s economy and employed 44,400 people in 2010, making it one of the state’s largest industries.\u00a0 Many tourists, especially in the eastern mountains, are drawn to the region’s notable opportunities for outdoor recreation. \u00a0Canaan Valley<\/a> is popular for winter sports, Seneca Rocks<\/a> is one of the premier rock climbing destinations in the eastern U.S., the New River Gorge\/Fayetteville<\/a> area draws rock climbers as well as whitewater rafting enthusiasts, and the Monongahela National Forest is popular with hikers, backpackers, hunters, and anglers.<\/p>\n In addition to such outdoor recreation opportunities, the state offers a number of historic and cultural attractions. \u00a0Harpers Ferry National Historical Park<\/a> is a historic town situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. \u00a0Harpers Ferry<\/a> was the site of John Brown’s 1859 slave revolt<\/a> and raid on the US Armory and Arsenal. \u00a0Located at the approximate midpoint of the Appalachian Trail<\/a>, Harpers Ferry is the base of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the major resources in West Virginia’s economy is coal. \u00a0According to the Energy Information Administration<\/a>, West Virginia is a top coal-producer in the United States, second only to Wyoming<\/a>. \u00a0West Virginia is located in the heart of the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Bed<\/a>, which stretches from Tennessee<\/a> north to New York<\/a> in the middle of Appalachia.<\/p>\n As of 2017, the coal industry accounted for 2 percent of state employment.<\/p>\n West Virginia coal exports declined 40% in 2013 \u2013 a loss of $2.9 billion and overall total exports declined 26%.\u00a0 West Virginia ranked last in the Gallup Economic Index for the fourth year running. \u00a0West Virginia ranked last or next-to-last in critical indicators such as Workforce Education, Entrepreneurial Activity, High-Tech Jobs, and Scientists and Engineers.<\/p>\n Nearly all of the electricity generated in West Virginia is from coal-fired power plants. \u00a0West Virginia produces a surplus of electricity and leads the Nation in net interstate electricity exports.\u00a0 Farming is also practiced in West Virginia, but on a limited basis because of the mountainous terrain over much of the state.<\/p>\n The 10 largest private employers in West Virginia, as of March 2011, were:<\/p>\n Highways form the backbone of transportation systems in West Virginia, with over 37,300 miles of public roads in the state.<\/p>\n West Virginia is crossed by six interstate highways: I-64<\/a>, I-77<\/a>, I-68<\/a>, I-79<\/a>, I-70<\/a>, and I-81<\/a>.<\/p>\n Commercial air travel is facilitated by airports in Charleston<\/a>, Huntington<\/a>, Morgantown<\/a>, Beckley<\/a>, Lewisburg<\/a>, Clarksburg<\/a>, and Parkersburg<\/a>. \u00a0All but Charleston and Huntington are subsidized by the US Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program<\/a>.<\/p>\n The current state flag of West Virginia consists of a pure white field bordered on four sides by a stripe of blue.\u00a0 The white of the field symbolizes purity, while the blue border represents the Union.\u00a0 The center of the state flag is emblazoned with the state’s Coat of Arms, a stylized version of the Great Seal of West Virginia.\u00a0 The lower half of the state flag is wreathed by two tethered swags of Rhododendron maximum<\/a>, the state flower of West Virginia.\u00a0 Across the top of the state flag is an unfurled red ribbon with the constitutional designation “State of West Virginia”, and across the bottom of the state flag is a tied red ribbon with the state’s Latin motto Montani Semper Liberi (“mountaineers are always free”).<\/p>\n The state’s coat of arms in the center of the flag symbolizes the principal pursuits and resources of West Virginia.\u00a0 In the center is an ivy-draped boulder that has been inscribed “June 20, 1863,” the date of West Virginia’s admission to the Union as a state.\u00a0 In front of the boulder lie two crossed hunting rifles and a Phrygian cap<\/a> (or “Cap of Liberty”) to illustrate the importance of the state’s fight for liberty.\u00a0 Two men, a farmer and a miner, stand on either side of the boulder and represent agriculture and industry.\u00a0 The farmer stands on the left with an ax and plow before a cornstalk.\u00a0 The miner stands on the right with a pickax and, behind him, an anvil and sledge hammer.<\/p>\n The need for an official state flag arose in 1904 when the West Virginia State Commission to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis<\/a> reported that the state required a flag or ensign to represent and distinguish itself among the other U.S. states at the exposition.\u00a0 In lieu of an official state flag, the commission adopted and used a state flag of its own design at the West Virginia building at the exposition, which was a “sprig of mountain laurel<\/a> upon an immaculate white field with a pale blue border”.<\/p>\n Following its formal adoption by the legislature, schools and other institutions throughout West Virginia began flying the new state flag.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Charleston-WV-300x102.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
History:<\/h2>\n
Pre-History:<\/h3>\n
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European Exploration and Settlement:<\/h3>\n
![\"Kanawha](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Kanawha-Falls-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
![\"Vandalia](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Vandalia-Colony-300x215.png\" "\\"\\"")
Trans-Allegheny Virginia:<\/h3>\n
![\"Westslyvania\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Westslyvania.png\" "\\"\\"")
Separation from Virginia:<\/h3>\n
![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/West-Virginia-1861-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
![\"George](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/George-B-McClellan.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Natural Resource Development:<\/h3>\n
![\"Seneca](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Seneca-Caverns-West-Virginia-300x229.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
![\"Coal](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Coal-Mining-Family-1935-300x206.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"Appalachian](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Appalachian-Region-296x300.gif\" "\\"\\"")
Economy:<\/h2>\n
Tourism:<\/h3>\n
![\"Canaan](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Canaan-Valley-300x216.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Resources:<\/h3>\n
![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/West-Virginia-Coal-300x158.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Employment:<\/h3>\n
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Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"Charleston](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Charleston-WV-Airport-300x150.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Flag of West Virginia:<\/h2>\n
Design:<\/h3>\n
![\"Current](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Current-Flag-of-West-Virginia-300x158.png\" "\\"\\"")
![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/West-Virginia-Coat-of-Arms.png\" "\\"\\"")
History:<\/h3>\n
1905 Flag:<\/h4>\n
![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/West-Virginia-State-Flag-1905-1907-300x210.png\" "\\"\\"")
1907 Flag:<\/h4>\n
![\"West](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/West-Virginia-Flag-1907-1929-Obverse-300x210.png\" "\\"\\"")
![\"Flag](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Flag-of-West-Virginia-Reverse-1907-1929-236x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
![\"Appalachian](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2018\/09\/Appalachian-Mountains-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")