Effects of a larger Virginia?

[NomadicSky]

The original borders for what became West Virginia, the proposed state of Kanawaha (they should have kept the name I think) anyway it was a bit smaller than the state of West Virginia.

Suppose this had become a state with these borders, an event like this would have still changed the US...but by how much?

[Æsir]

Biggest change is Virginia might've had an additional electoral vote at some point. Probably not even that, but I don't know exactly how many people live in that area.

[Enigmajones]

This is probably one of the least likely POD's ever. It will effect very little.

[Lord Grattan]

I can't think of any big butterflies of a smaller Kanawha/West Virginia (I too wish that the state's founders had gone with Kanawah). Note though the real story told by that map - it's not a bigger Virginia, it's the complete redrawing of boundaries for Virginia, Maryland and Delaware! The Maryland-Virginia line is redrawn along the Blue Ridge (With Kanawha/West Virginia becoming part of the reconstituted state of Virginia) and all of the so-called Delmarva Peninsula made part of Delaware. Now those are some big butterflies.

[jycee]

Despite the ASBness of ending with such borders barring something in the Civil War going terribly off (not necessarily wrong or right) these borders actually make much more sense than the ones in OTL; geographically, economically, and demographically. But none of these were really taken into consideration when drawing state borders.

[Iori]

Originally Posted by Æsir

but I don't know exactly how many people live in that area.

As of the 2010 census, roughly 261,000 people (14% of WVs population) live in the area not included in the Kanawaha proposal, so not enough to add an additional Rep. to Virginia.

[Iori]

Originally Posted by Lord Grattan

I can't think of any big butterflies of a smaller Kanawha/West Virginia (I too wish that the state's founders had gone with Kanawah). Note though the real story told by that map - it's not a bigger Virginia, it's the complete redrawing of boundaries for Virginia, Maryland and Delaware! The Maryland-Virginia line is redrawn along the Blue Ridge (With Kanawha/West Virginia becoming part of the reconstituted state of Virginia) and all of the so-called Delmarva Peninsula made part of Delaware. Now those are some big butterflies.

I think you're interpreting river or mountains as the borders, the map does not actually show any changes to Deleware or Maryland.

[Lord Grattan]

Originally Posted by Iori

I think you're interpreting river or mountains as the borders, the map does not actually show any changes to Deleware or Maryland.

Sure it does. Look at the bolded words VIRGINIA, MARYLAND & DELAWARE on the map and look at the way other state borders are marked. As the line following the Blue Ridge Mountains is like the other state lines on the map it is intended to denote a state boundary line. The bolded names on the map transcend pre civil war geographic location. Note that those names are also printed in softer typeface over their pre civil war territory.

[titulus regius]

I should have gone to Specsavers.

[NomadicSky]

Originally Posted by Lord Grattan

it's the complete redrawing of boundaries for Virginia, Maryland and Delaware!

That would have been interesting for sure.