[CrackMonkey] Simplistic Yahoo Daily News polls

[Mike Goldman]

Ben wrote:

> Mike Goldman wrote:
>
> > But how do you explain West Virginia then?
>
> Inbreeding?

Yes, but can you explain how it came to exist in the first place?

Virginia "seceded" from the Union.  Lincoln expressly refused to
recognize said secession, and considered instead its legislature
(like that of the other Confederate states) to be in rebellion.

A portion of Virginia (surprisingly enough, the Western portion)
did *not* desire to leave the union.  Consequently, they (or at
least a vocal number of people within said portion) decided to
separate from the rest of Virginia, and create a new state, West
Virginia.  However, Union troops were stationed at the polls to
prevent Confederate sympathizers from voting.

Article IV, Section 3, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution for the
United States of America reads:
"New States may be admitted BY THE CONGRESS into this Union; but no
new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of
ANY OTHER STATE;  nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or
more States, or Parts of States,
WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE LEGISLATURES of the States concerned AS
WELL AS OF THE CONGRESS." [Emphasis added]

It was, all around, a most irregular affair.