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8th grade How West Virginia became a state during the Civil War worksheet

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How West Virginia became a state during the Civil War

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet

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Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    A new state is made, 1861 to 1863

    Map 1, "The proposed state of Kanawha" (1861): June 1861: the Second Wheeling Convention sets up the Restored Government of Virginia, loyal to the Union, with Francis Pierpont as governor. October 24, 1861: voters in the 39 counties of the proposed state of Kanawha approve it, 18,408 to 781; turnout is only 34 percent. Map 2, "The state of West Virginia" (1863): December 31, 1862: President Lincoln signs the statehood bill. March 26, 1863: voters approve the revised constitution with the Willey Amendment, 28,321 to 572. June 20, 1863: West Virginia becomes the 35th state, with Arthur Boreman as its first governor. Key: a dashed line is the proposed state of 1861; a solid line is the state of 1863; a star is Wheeling, where the conventions met. Below the maps: The US Constitution says no new state may be formed within another state without that state's consent; the Restored Government gave Virginia's consent in May 1862. The convention dropped the name Kanawha, partly because a county and two rivers already had it.

  2. Who led the Restored Government of Virginia, by map 1, Ari asks?

    • President Abraham Lincoln
    • Waitman Willey
    • Francis Pierpont
    • Arthur Boreman

  3. What was the vote for the new state in October 1861, Bo asks?

    • 18,408 to 781
    • 88 to 55
    • 28,321 to 572
    • 781 to 18,408

  4. By map 1, what share of voters took part in the 1861 vote, Esme asks?

    • 34 percent
    • 3.4 percent
    • 39 percent
    • 66 percent

  5. When did West Virginia become a state, Jun asks?

    • March 26, 1863
    • December 31, 1862
    • October 24, 1861
    • June 20, 1863

  6. What changed between map 1 and map 2, Kira asks?

    • A proposed state became the 35th state
    • Kanawha became Virginia's capital
    • Voters turned down the Willey Amendment
    • Virginia joined back together as one state

  7. Who signed the statehood bill, Luz asks?

    • The convention in Richmond
    • Governor Pierpont
    • President Lincoln
    • Governor Boreman

  8. Why did the Restored Government's consent matter, by the note, Milo asks?

    • The name Kanawha needed approval
    • Voters had turned down the new state in 1861
    • Lincoln needed Ohio's approval
    • A state can't be split without its consent

  9. How many years passed from the 1861 vote to statehood, Pia asks?

    • 3,724 years
    • 1 year
    • 2 years
    • 12 years

  10. Which claim about statehood is careful, Tala asks?

    • Lincoln made the state by himself
    • The state was formed without any vote
    • The Richmond government asked for it
    • Voters, conventions, Congress and Lincoln each had a part

  11. What was the Restored Government of Virginia, Zee asks?

    • A Union-loyal government set up at Wheeling
    • West Virginia's first legislature, 1863
    • The Confederate government in Richmond
    • A committee of the US Congress
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8th grade How West Virginia became a state during the Civil War worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

How West Virginia became a state during the Civil War. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain the long quarrel between eastern and western Virginia, and Virginia's secession in 1861.
  • I can follow the steps from the Wheeling Conventions to statehood on June 20, 1863, and say who decided each one.
  • I can describe where slavery existed in western Virginia, how the Willey Amendment and the 1865 law ended it, and enslaved people's own work and escapes.

Standard: D2.His.14.6-8

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Are these 8th grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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