A State Born from Conflict: The Creation of West Virginia
During the American Civil War, the United States faced an unprecedented crisis as eleven Southern states attempted to secede, or withdraw, from the nation. In the middle of this turmoil, an unusual event took place: a new state was carved directly out of an existing one. On June 20, 1863, West Virginia officially became the thirty-fifth state of the Union. While many people assume this split happened simply because western Virginians were heroic opponents of slavery who wanted freedom for all people, the real history is far more complex.
Long before the Civil War began, tension had been brewing between eastern and western Virginia. Geography shaped these two regions in completely different ways. Eastern Virginia was dominated by flat coastal plains and large agricultural plantations. Wealthy landowners grew crops like tobacco and held a massive enslaved population to do the labor. Because state voting laws favored property owners, these wealthy eastern planters controlled the state government in Richmond.
- crisis:
- A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.
- turmoil:
- A state of great disturbance, confusion, or uncertainty.
- plantations:
- Large estates or farms where crops are grown, often by many laborers.
- maneuver:
- A clever or skillful action designed to achieve a specific goal.
- abolition:
- The official ending of a practice or institution, especially slavery.
- emancipation:
- The act of freeing someone from the control or power of another.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What main geographic feature separated western Virginia from eastern Virginia?
- 2How did the economies of eastern and western Virginia differ before the Civil War?
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About this explanatory article passage for 5th Grade
“A State Born from Conflict: The Creation of West Virginia” is a explanatory article reading passage about West Virginia Statehood, written for 5th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (536 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.