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West Virginia's political history began in controversy. Born during the Civil War, it was recognized by President Lincoln in 1863 over the objections of half his cabinet.
Over time, West Virginians didn’t support many of the big national political movements, such as Populism in the 1890s or Progressivism in the early 1900s, in large numbers. One reason was that powerful conservative leaders from both parties kept major changes from happening. Although, Democrats and Republicans have held significantly different views between each other and often within their own parties.
After West Virginia became a state, there were disagreements among Union and Confederate supporters, and often among Union supporters themselves. Some, like West Virginia's first governor, Arthur Boreman, were called Unconditional Unionists. They ...
Worried about the future of West Virginia, Governor Boreman (pictured) and Radical Republicans tried to stop former Confederates, mostly Democrats, from gaining power. Strict laws took property from them and made former Confederates sign loyalty o...
In 1870, the Democratic Party won the elections in West Virginia. John J. Jacob became governor, starting 26 years of Democratic leadership. These so-called Bourbon Democrats, now with the support of former Confederates (who regained the right to ...
The original 1863 West Virginia constitution required the state to provide free public schools for all children. The legislature set up a system with a state superintendent, county superintendents, and local school leaders. By 1870, there were 2,2...
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, political party names didn’t always mean much because many leaders from both parties shared similar ideas and supporters. They wanted to build West Virginia’s industries. Two powerful men—Henry Gassaway Davis (pi...
Worries over the misuse of natural resources, poor working conditions, and lack of government services led to a national Progressive Movement. From 1900 to 1920, progressive ideas shaped state politics, though to a lesser degree than they were fel...
On March 10, 1920, West Virginia became the 34th state to approve the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The vote in the state senate was very close—15 to 14.The fight for women’s voting rights in West Virginia began much earlier....
Except for coal miners—mining suffered through a recession in the 1920s—West Virginians were drawn in by the good times of the 1920s. Even though John William Davis (pictured) from Clarksburg was the Democratic nominee for president in 1924, the s...
The Great Depression caused massive job losses and poverty in West Virginia and across the country. It marked a major turning point in history. The government moved away from a hands-off approach and followed Democratic President Roosevelt’s New D...
By the 1940s, Neely (pictured) wielded as much power over the Democratic party as Stephen Elkins had over the Republicans at the turn-of-the-century. Starting his political career in 1908 as mayor of Fairmont, he went on to serve in the U.S. Hous...
After World War II, West Virginia faced new economic problems caused primarily by the loss of mining, manufacturing, and railroad jobs—and tens-of-thousands of people leaving the state. These challenges, combined with the popularity of Republican ...
West Virginia’s state politics usually don’t get much national attention, but that changed in 1960. The state’s primary was an important contest between John F. Kennedy (pictured right) and Hubert H. Humphrey for the Democratic nomination for pres...
Since the 1960s, the governor of West Virginia has become much more powerful. In 1968, a new amendment placed the governor in charge of the state budget. In 1970, another amendment let governors serve two terms in a row. These changes made the gov...
Leaders from both parties were worried about West Virginia’s declining economy and how to protect the environment at the same time. Strip mining became a major issue, especially after the deadly Buffalo Creek flood in 1972. Many liberals called to...
West Virginia’s leaders have worked hard to boost the economy, including attracting foreign investments. In the late 1900s and early 2000s, Democratic Senator Robert C. Byrd brought more than $1 billion in federal funds and many federal projects t...
National historian/journalist Theodore White called West Virginia one of the most politically corrupt states, citing the 1960 Democratic primary, where John F. Kennedy used a mix of modern tactics and vote buying to beat Hubert Humphrey. Over the ...
West Virginia has seen four main shifts in power in its history:1863 to 1871, when Republicans controlled the stateAfter 1871, when Democrats held power for several decadesLate 19th and early 20th centuries, when Republicans regained control until...
Women Politicians and Social Activists
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