State of Kanawha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids State of Kanawha |
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| Unorganized proposed state of the United States | |||||||||||||
| 1861–1863 | |||||||||||||
 1861 map of Kanawha |
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| Capital | Wheeling, West Virginia | ||||||||||||
| Historical era | American Civil War | ||||||||||||
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• Commonwealth of Virginia secedes from the United States and joins the Confederacy
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April 16, 1861 | ||||||||||||
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• Second Wheeling Convention votes to secede from Virginia
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20 August 1861 | ||||||||||||
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• Area is wholly admitted to the Union, with additional counties, as "West Virginia"
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20 June 1863 | ||||||||||||
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Kanawha was a name suggested for a new state during the American Civil War. This area included 39 counties that later became the main part of West Virginia. These counties were in the northwestern part of Virginia. They decided to break away from Virginia after Virginia joined the Confederate States of America on April 17, 1861. The name "Kanawha" was proposed on October 24, 1861.
Contents
Why a New State?
The Wheeling Meetings
The idea of separating from Virginia was approved at the Second Wheeling Convention on August 20, 1861. The name "Kanawha" was first suggested for the new state. It came from the important Kanawha River that flows through the area. The river itself was named after the local Kanawha Native American group, who had left the area after 1780.
Changing the Name
During the first meeting to write the new state's rules, held in Wheeling on December 3, 1861, a man named Harmon Sinsel from Taylor County suggested removing the name "Kanawha." People at the meeting worried that having a "State of Kanawha" and a "County of Kanawha" in the same state would be confusing.
Also, many people at the meeting wanted to show they were still connected to their Virginian heritage. After a lot of discussion, the idea to remove "Kanawha" passed with a vote of 30 to 14. So, they needed a new name.
During the next discussion, many names were suggested. These included "Allegheny," "Augusta," "Columbia," "New Virginia," "Vandalia," "West Virginia," and "Western Virginia." To choose, they called out each person's name. When their name was called, each person said their favorite name for the new state. When one name got the most votes, it would be chosen. "West Virginia" received 30 out of 44 votes, which was a majority. So, the new state officially became West Virginia.
New State Boundaries
During the meetings to create the state's rules, the borders of the new state changed several times. The state first included 39 counties. Fifteen of these counties had voted to leave the United States on May 23, 1861. Later, nine more counties that had voted to leave the U.S. were added to the new state.
West Virginia Becomes a State
West Virginia eventually included 50 counties. These counties were taken from northwestern Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley. President Abraham Lincoln officially made West Virginia a state on April 20, 1863. This change became official 60 days later. West Virginia formally joined the United States on June 20, 1863.
