The Restored Government of Virginia was the Unionist government of Virginia during the American Civil War, operating in opposition to the secessionist state government in Richmond. President Abraham Lincoln recognized it as the legitimate government of the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, and Congress seated its senators and representatives. It met first in Wheeling and later in Alexandria before moving to Richmond after the Confederacy evacuated the city in 1865.
Who was the governor of the Restored Government of Virginia?
Francis Harrison Pierpont served as governor of the Restored Government of Virginia from 1861 to 1865. He was elected by the Second Wheeling Convention in June 1861 and continued in the role even after West Virginia statehood removed most of the territory his government actually controlled.
How did the Restored Government of Virginia consent to the creation of West Virginia?
The Restored Government's legislature gave its consent to the creation of West Virginia on the 13th of May 1862, after President Lincoln and Congress had recognized it as the legitimate government of Virginia. The United States Constitution required the consent of an existing state's legislature before a new state could be carved from its territory. Congress later required Virginia to affirm in its 1869 Constitution that this consent had been valid, giving retroactive recognition to the Restored Government's authority.
Where did the Restored Government of Virginia meet?
The Restored Government met in Wheeling, in the extreme northwestern corner of Virginia, until that area became part of West Virginia. From the 26th of August 1863, it met in Alexandria on the right bank of the Potomac River, which had been under Union Army occupation since 1861. After Confederate forces evacuated Richmond in late March 1865, the government moved to Richmond, the city it had always claimed as its de jure capital.
What was the double oath used by the Restored Government of Virginia?
The double oath was a loyalty requirement implemented by the Restored Government that required signatories to swear support for both the United States Constitution and the Wheeling-based government of Virginia. It effectively excluded both Confederate supporters and Unionists who did not back the Pierpont government from voting in Restored Government elections. Those who refused the oath were sometimes imprisoned at the Wheeling Atheneum or at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio.
When did the Restored Government of Virginia abolish slavery?
The Restored Government adopted a new Virginia state constitution in 1864 that abolished slavery, applicable in the Union-controlled areas of Virginia. On the 9th of February 1865, its legislature voted to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the United States.