West Virginia emerged from the American Civil War when western counties rejected Virginia's secession. Virginia mattered greatly to the Confederacy because it supplied industry and infrastructure that the breakaway states otherwise lacked. Richmond's role as the Confederate capital placed it close to Washington. That geography helps explain why battles such as Bull Run occurred along the approaches between the two capitals.
Notable Point · 1:26:57-1:27:59
West Virginia and Virginia's place in the Civil War
An aside connects West Virginia's formation with Virginia's industrial weight and the close geography of Richmond, Washington, and Bull Run.