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CHAPTER
7 The
Split Begins
In many ways, western Virginia and eastern Virginia had been
growing apart ever since the first settlements were founded west of the
mountains. When western Virginia split from eastern Virginia, it was not a
sudden event. It was the result of many differences that built up over the
years. Background
Differences
Many of the settlers who came over the mountains after the
Revolutionary War did not come from the eastern part of Virginia. They
came from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New England, and New York. Some came
from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Many settlers in the northern
part of eastern Virginia were German and Scotch-Irish. Many of these
settlers had no attachment to eastern Virginia. Land
Differences
The land itself made western Virginia different from eastern
Virginia. East of the mountains, much of the land was rich and flat. It
was suitable for large farms.. The main crop was tobacco. Large landowners
used slaves to work this crop. Most of the tobacco was shipped down
eastern Virginia's rivers and then across the ocean to markets in Europe.
Western Virginia was rich in natural resources: iron, coal, natural
gas, oil, timber, and salt. As these industries grew, western Virginia
became more different than ever from eastern Virginia which depended on
its large tobacco farms and slave labor. Political
Differences
Other differences were political. People in the two areas had
different ideas about who should be able to vote. According to the
Virginia constitution, only white men who owned land were allowed to vote.
Most people in western Virginia felt this gave too much power to the rich
landowners. More landowners lived in eastern Virginia than in western
Virginia.
Also, many government officials were chosen by other government
officials. Most western Virginians thought government officials should be
elected. Eastern Virginia had many more representatives in state
government than did western Virginia. Western Virginians did not think
this was fair. Western
Virginians Want Change
In 1829-1830, a convention was held in Richmond. The convention
rejected the changes the western Virginians wanted. Wheeling newspapers
began to call for western Virginia to separate from eastern Virginia.
In
1842, leaders of western Virginia met in Lewisburg demand changes in the
Virginia constitution. They also demanded improvements in transportation.
The government in Richmond ignored their demands.
At a convention held in Richmond in 1850, western Virginians
finally won more political power. All white men over the age of 21 could
now vote. Many political officials who had been appointed now had to be
elected. For the first time, the governor of Virginia was from western
Virginia. He was Joseph Johnson from Harrison County.
Transportation improvements were made in western Virginia. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built over the Allegheny Mountains. In
1852, the B&O, as the railroad was called, reached Wheeling. The
railroad opened up western Virginia more than the roads ever had.
Leaders in both eastern and western Virginia seemed more willing to
try to work things out. But, at the same time, the country itself was
being pulled into two separate parts-the North and the South. Virginia was
on the border. It was a mix of both North and South.
End of Chapter 7
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