Wheeling Convention

Wheeling Convention. The Wheeling Convention was a pivotal political assembly held in the early months of the American Civil War. Convened by pro-Union delegates from northwestern Virginia, it formally repudiated the state's Ordinance of Secession passed in Richmond. The convention's actions led to the creation of the Restored Government of Virginia and set in motion the process for the eventual admission of West Virginia as the 35th state in the Union.

Background and causes

The convention was a direct response to the escalating national crisis following the Battle of Fort Sumter and the subsequent secession of several Southern states. The Virginia Secession Convention of 1861, dominated by delegates from the eastern slaveholding regions, voted to leave the Union on April 17, 1861. This decision was met with fierce opposition in the northwestern counties, where economic ties to the Ohio River and Pennsylvania, a smaller enslaved population, and political loyalties to figures like Waitman T. Willey fostered strong Unionist sentiment. The region's residents had long held grievances against the eastern political elite in Richmond over issues of representation and internal improvements, tensions exacerbated by the raid on Harpers Ferry. Following the statewide referendum on secession, which ratified the ordinance, Unionist leaders called for a gathering in Wheeling to organize resistance.

Proceedings and key figures

The first session of the convention opened on June 11, 1861, at Washington Hall in Wheeling, with over 400 delegates from dozens of counties. Notable presiding officers and key figures included Arthur I. Boreman, who served as president of the convention and would later become the first Governor of West Virginia. Other prominent delegates were Waitman T. Willey, Francis H. Pierpont, and John S. Carlile, all of whom played crucial roles in the political and legal maneuvering. The assembly operated under the protection of Union Army forces, as the area was a contested border region early in the American Civil War. The delegates declared the offices of the Virginia government in Richmond vacant due to treason, framing their actions as restoring the legitimate, pre-secession state government loyal to the United States Constitution.

Resolutions and outcomes

The convention's primary achievement was the "Declaration of the People of Virginia," adopted on June 19, 1861, which nullified the Ordinance of Secession and established the Restored Government of Virginia with Francis H. Pierpont as its governor. This new government, recognized by President Abraham Lincoln and the United States Congress, claimed authority over all of Virginia but was effectively based in the Union-held northwest. A second session, known as the Second Wheeling Convention, commenced in August. This body drafted a constitution for a proposed new state, initially to be called Kanawha. The Restored Government of Virginia then gave its consent for the creation of this new state, fulfilling the constitutional requirement, and elected Waitman T. Willey and John S. Carlile as U.S. Senators to represent the loyal Virginia government in Washington, D.C..

Legacy and historical significance

The Wheeling Convention provided the constitutional and political foundation for West Virginia statehood, which was formally granted by Congress and President Abraham Lincoln on June 20, 1863. The creation of West Virginia represented a significant strategic and symbolic victory for the Union, dividing the Confederacy and providing crucial resources and manpower. The Restored Government of Virginia, under Francis H. Pierpont, relocated to Alexandria and governed Union-occupied parts of Virginia throughout the American Civil War, later playing a role in Reconstruction. The convention remains a defining event in Appalachian history, exemplifying the deep internal divisions within border states and the complex process of wartime state-making. Its legal justifications were later upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in the 1870 case Virginia v. West Virginia.

Category:1861 conferences Category:West Virginia in the American Civil War Category:Political history of West Virginia Category:Virginia in the American Civil War