After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in November 1860, southern states started leaving, or seceding from, the U.S. Virginia had to decide which side to take.

In a special meeting in Virginia, delegates initially wanted to stay with the Union. But after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter and Lincoln's call for soldiers, the meeting voted for Virginia to leave the Union.

However, many representatives from the western part of Virginia voted against leaving.

Even before the people officially voted on secession, Virginia's leaders started acting like they were part of the Confederacy. For instance, Richmond was chosen as the new capital of the Confederacy three days before the public vote on secession. Most local areas went along, but Wheeling and other areas in northwestern Virginia refused. They stayed loyal to the Union and began selecting delegates and enlisting soldiers to fight for the U.S. Constitution.