At first, people in western Virginia tried to stop Virginia from leaving the Union by voting against it on May 23. When that vote confirmed Virginia's secession, Union soldiers came into western Virginia and pushed Confederate troops out of both the Kanawha Valley and northwestern Virginia, allowing the state's founders to deliberate in peace. This was unlike in other divided places like East Tennessee, where Union supporters had to hide or run away. Western Virginia was the most secure place for pro-Union politicians to meet in a Confederate state.