On June 20, 1863, Arthur I. Boreman became the first governor of West Virginia.

Before that, he helped lead the Second Wheeling Convention and the loyal "Reorganized Government of Virginia." He was elected governor in 1863 without anyone running against him and served for almost six years.

As governor, he worked to create public schools for all children in the new state and helped establish West Virginia University. His main job at first was guiding West Virginia through the end of the Civil War. This was difficult because many people in the new state still supported the Confederacy. To maintain control, Boreman supported a law requiring people to prove they were loyal to the Union to vote or hold office. This "test oath" mainly affected former Confederates and helped Boreman's political party (Republicans) stay in power.