1863 - On January 1, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in areas of rebellion, but did not apply to states loyal to the Union, including the future state of West Virginia. 1863 - West Virginia became the 35th state (June 20). read more
Although West Virginia's first constitution provided for the assumption of a part of the Virginia debt, negotiations opened by Virginia in 1870 were fruitless, and in 1871 that state funded two-thirds of the debt and arbitrarily assigned the remainder to West Virginia. read more
Lincoln created a second, shadow government of Virginia (the real one was no longer part of the Union). Once there was an agreeable Union government, the western part of Virginia voted to secede from Virginia and call itself "West" Virginia. It became a new state on June 20, 1863. read more