See the title. Is it possible in the Reconstruction era to reunite Virginia and West Virginia as one state, and what effects would it have had on Reconstruction itself.
See the title. Is it possible in the Reconstruction era to reunite Virginia and West Virginia as one state, and what effects would it have had on Reconstruction itself.
Well, the fact of the matter is that the Constitution says that no state can be subdivided without that state's consent. Since Virginia wasn't consulted the creation of West Virginia was, in fact, unconstitutional.
As I understand it, Virginia gave acquiescence after the fact to paper over the legalities - but surely it was possible for that not to happen?