Existing comment:
West Virginia -- Born of Civil War:
Although men from the western mountains of Virginia fought on both sides during the Civil War, the majority of the people from this region remained loyal to the Union and created this new state.
After President Lincoln's call for troops to put down "the rebellion" in 1861, Jefferson County, home to Harpers Ferry, spurned the Union and embraced the Confederacy. By 1863 however, the presence of Union troops and the interests of the B&O Railroad influenced the vote in favor of joining the new state of West Virginia.
State Seal:
West Virginia entered the Union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863. The state seal adopted in that year bears the motto [in Latin] "Mountaineers Always Free." |