Reviews for West Virginia: A History

The average rating for West Virginia: A History based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-09-13 00:00:00 Jerry D Smith Interesting book on the history of the State of West Virginia starting from when it was the west part of the Colony of Virginia when the colony was part of England. Many forget that England and France, not the United States ruled the region as the US was not created yet. The first chapter was about the battles with the Shawnee and the French establishing the western boundary. The next section dealt with the difference between western and eastern Virginia, including the economy, slavery and representation. The most fascinating piece was the creation of West Virginia out of Virginia. How to create a state out of state? What are the legal steps to do so? How to get Virginia to agree to give up part of the land for a new state when Virginia has seceded? Interesting maneuverings by the Republicans to make this happen.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-12-11 00:00:00 Kimberly Lemaster Mainly a history of the rich and famous of West Virginia. Expected since this book was prepared for the Nation's bicentennial. I prefer histories that delve into the common man's adversities. He did some of this but not enough. He could have gone into more detail about the mine wars. I just felt that he missed an opportunity. I was part of the great migration. He left many unanswered questions.