West Virginia | AllCheapFares

West Virginia is a state in the central Appalachians, with two "panhandles" or long, narrow arms of territory that reach East almost to Washington DC and North almost to Pittsburgh PA. West Virginia was part of Virginia until 1863 when the inhabitants of the western counties decided to become their own state rather than join the Confederacy.  Slavery was legal in WV, but it was not common.  Most West Virginians lived in small farms or industrial communities, and had no need for slaves.  Also, many of the inhabitants belonged to churches which opposed slavery, and thus abolitionism was strong. 

West Virginia is very different from Virginia.  While Virginia is the home of the planter aristocracy and very English in its customs, West Virginia was settled by the "scotch-Irish" (people born in Ireland but of Scottish descent) and thus the relationship between Virginia and West Virginia is analogous to the relationship between England and Scotland or Ireland.

After statehood, West Virginia boomed.  Coal was king.  Immigrants from Germany, Italy, Ireland, and all over the world moved to the area to work for the robber barons of the Industrial Revolution.  The Organized Labor Movement has been strong in West Virginia ever since.

West Virginia is neither entirely southern nor entirely northern.  The speech inflections and attitudes are reminiscent of the south; the architecture and climate are reminiscent of the north.  It is true that West Virginia is the most rural and isolated state in the region.  It is not true that the inhabitants inbreed.  Many West Virginians have left the state in search of jobs to become prominent in their new locales.  There are many, many West Virginians living outside West Virginia, particularly in Ohio or in North Carolina.