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West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key border state during the war. The capital and largest city is Charleston. West Virginia is the 10th-smallest state by area and ranks as the 12th-least populous state, with a population of 1,793,716 residents. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north and east, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. 1977 - The New River Gorge Bridge opens.West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.1885 - Charleston becomes the permanent state capital.1880 - The Hatfields and McCoys begin to feud.1875 - The state capital is moved to Wheeling.1865 - The Civil War comes to an end and slavery is abolished in the state.1863 - West Virginia is admitted as the 35th state.1862 - The Battle of Shepherdstown is fought.1861 - When Virginia secedes from the Union at the start of the Civil War, West Virginia remains loyal to the Union and creates its own government separate from Virginia.
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Many of these early settlers were of German descent and came from Pennsylvania in the north looking for new lands. In the last 1600s, explorers entered the land and began to make maps of the territory. West Virginia, however, was considered the frontier for some time. The settlement of Jamestown was established in 1607 and soon people began to settle eastern Virginia. West Virginia was originally part of the Virginia Colony established by England in 1606. The Shawnee were pushed out of the region in the late 1600s by the Iroquois tribes from the north. They also grew corn, sunflowers, and squash. For food they hunted all sorts of game such as deer, bear, rabbit, bison, and geese.
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They lived in dome-shaped homes called wigwams. The Shawnee were the dominant tribe when Europeans first arrived. These tribes included the Shawnee, Cherokee, and the Iroquois. Before the Europeans arrived, Native American tribes lived in the region.
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