Definitely a state. Many believe that West Virginia’s secession from the state of Virginia in the midst of the Civil War was unconstitutional. They argue that since Lincoln believed no state had the legal right to leave the Union, and the Constitution requires that any new state form out of an existing state must have the existing state’s consent, West Virginia is not legal. They believe Lincoln went back on the promises he made in his inaugural speech.
Well, for all you doubters out there, I have two words for you. However, they’re not very nice, so I’ll just say this instead: Virginia v. West Virginia (1871). That is the Supreme Court case that decided Virginia’s arguments were flimsy and not well thought out. That is the Supreme Court case that decided West Virginia is a state once and for all.
So, now that West Virginia is a state, I have the right to be very angry at all the people who say “Is that anywhere near Richmond?” No. It is six hours away. Now shut up.
Fun fact: Did you know John Denver’s song “Country Roads” is actually about WESTERN Virginia?
-M
6 comments:
I agree, how does an American citizen not realize that West Virginia has been /West/ Virginia for 149 years? It's like saying "South Dakota? North Dakota? Isn't there just Dakota?"
- Re
It's really frustrating that people don't know about us as a state. Thanks for putting WV out there for people to enjoy!
I was watching "How the States Got Their Shapes" the other day. The host had a few people close their eyes and handed them a foam cut out in the shape of WV. They couldn't name what state it was. He asked them to find West Virginia on a map. They couldn't. But when he asked them to name 18 of the states that are considered part of Appalachia, West Virginia was one of the first they named. I thought you could appreciate just how ludacris that was.
On a random side note, I think Virginia should change its name to East Virginia to avoid confusion.
Thanks for the comments!
The topic of changing the state's name is always a hot one. When WV first became a state, almost everything about it was the same as VIrginia, including the state bird (the tufted titmouse). We changed our state bird to the cardinal to assume a separate identity.
Excellent idea! It always upsets me when people think we're just an extension of Virginia. Especially when they live in neighboring states.
Loving the idea of changing the name. For some reason it never really occurred to me.
I'm curious, do you know what the process of changing the name of a state is like? The name has been West Virignia for quite awhile, so I don't imagine it changing, but I think it would be interesting to know what the idea would have to go through to become a reality.
I think the process would be similar to that of amending the state constitution. It would probably require a special convention and a supermajority to pass. I think it would be blocked very quickly by congressmen who are supported by West Virginia University, because it is the state university and would probably have to change it's name, something it hasn't done since the year it was founded, changing from an agricultural school to a professional college.
-M
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