West Virginia Crisis

The **West Virginia Crisis** or **Second American Civil War** was a political and military crisis that occurred over a period of nine days in March 1883 partially as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling in Virginia v. West Virginia. The crisis resulted in the secession from the union of the state of Virginia before its peaceful return upon the death of Robert Blythe.

## Beginnings

In 1882, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Virginia v. West Virginia, requiring Virginia and West Virginia to merge before the midterm election that year. Robert Blythe was elected Governor of the united Virginia in November, to the disappointment of the white political establishment in Virginia. Meanwhile, Senator Eric Perkins introduced a bill which would grant West Virginia statehood again. This bill passed the senate overwhelmingly, but what vetoed by President John D. Rockefeller, along with two other bills. The senate overrode the veto, denouncing the court's opinion and arguing that they had the authority to recreate West Virginia. It was at this time that Justice Bartholomew Allen stormed into the senate and burned every copy of the West Virginia Act, attempting to enforce the court's opinion. The senate then voted on a new act, transferring the right to create new states from the state legislatures to the governors. This would allow the governor of Virginia to grant West Virginian statehood after inauguration day.

## Virgin Republic

After the passage of the act allowing governors to grant statehood, Robert Blythe was inaugurated as Governor of Virginia. Fearing the formation of a new West Virginia, a group of radical pro-annexation citizens formed the Republic of Virgins around Norfolk. The United States military began mobilizing to retake the rebel-held areas. While the military was mobilizing, the Virgin rebels kidnapped Senator John Tyler Morgan of Alabama, and demanded the secession of the entire state of Virginia. Following this, Morgan joined the rebels as a general, expanding their territory up Chesapeake Bay. The Virgin Republic also announced the beginning of a "race war" against jews, which attracted the support of some member of the anti-semitic Christian Workers Party.

## Virginia Revolt

Immediately following his inauguration, Governor Blythe selected former Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson III as his Lieutenant Governor. At a rally, Blythe was shot at by White Supremacists, and requested National Guard Protection. The National Guard refused to protect Blythe, and he fled to Western Virginia. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Jefferson and the Virginia General Assembly announced that the State of Virginia would secede from the union, blaming corrupt jews for Blythe's 1882 victory. Blythe faked his own death to return to the supreme court as a janitor before moving again to Deseret and converting to mormonism. The Virgin Republic and seceding Virginia joined forces after Governor Jefferson agreed to allow the Virgin leader to be Virginia Secretary of State. Following this, Jefferson fired the Virgin Leader from his post as Secretary of State.

## Death of Blythe and Conclusion

Governor Jefferson offered a bounty for capturing Blythe and returning his body to Virginia. Shortly after this declaration, Blythe was shot dead by bounty hunters in Deseret Territory and Virginia rejoined the union. One of the bounty hunters would be then-19 year old George Burr, son of 1868 Demcoratic Nominee William Burr, great-grandson of Aaron Burr, and himself a future Governor and Presidential Candidate. The only regions remaining surrounded Norfolk, and were held by the Virgin Republic. President Rockefeller reversed a previous decision and authorized the use of chemical weapons to neutralize the Virgin republic, and Virginia was soon restored in its entirety as a state in the Union.