Historical Maps of Virginia Colony and West Virginia

West Virginia separated from Virginia in 1861, forming its own state. The Plantation Society of Tide Water, VA was a world apart from the subsistence farmers in the east. They made many unsuccessful attempts to secede from Virginia. The beginning of the "War of Rebellion" galvanized sufficient voters to make the separation happen. The state was originally called The Restored Government of Virginia. In 1863, they were admitted into the Union as West Virginia, and most soldiers fought for the Union in the Civil War. The three counties in southeast West Virginia, Summers, Monroe, and Mercer, are home to many descendents of Francis Keatley (? - 1825).