Why did Virginia split into two states?

Although Virginia did not separate into two states until after the Civil War began, West Virginia had already attempted to become a separate state three times after the American Revolution. read more

In the end, West Virginia included only three Shenandoah Valley Counties - and the southwestern Virginia counties within the Valley and Ridge province stayed with "old" Virginia, due to the influence of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. read more

In 1861, as the United States itself became massively divided over slavery, leading to the American Civil War (1861–1865), the western regions of Virginia split with the eastern portion politically, and the two were never reconciled as a single state again. read more