The today's flag of West Virginia was introduced on 6th of November in 1929. However, the following date can also be found in various sources: 7th of March in 1929, which is the date on which the law was passed by the legislature. It is a single-coloured white bunting with a blue border, white standing for purity and blue for the Union (USA). The central element of the state seal appears in the centre of the flag, placed on a shield with a golden decorative border. It is a stone, flanked by a farmer (agriculture) and a miner (mining), with the date "June 20 1863" on it, the date of the state's joining to the USA. The stone is surrounded by symbols of the state's most important economic sectors: Ears of grain, corn plants, a plough, an anvil and hammer, a pile of ore. In front of the stone is a Phrygian cap (symbol of freedom) on two crossed rifles, a symbol of the state's fight for freedom during the civil war and also of the fact that freedom will also be defended by force of arms. Below this is a red banner showing the state motto: "Montani Semper Liberi" → "Mountaineers Are Always Free". Around this central image is placed a wreath of rhododendrons held together by a red ribbon and the name of the state on a red ribbon at the top. Rhododendron maximum is the state flower of West Virginia. West Virginia law requires that the flag, when used in parades or on ceremonial occasions, shall be trimmed on three sides with gold-coloured fringe, or when used on such occasions with the flag of the United States, shall be trimmed with fringe, cords or tassels in the same manner as the flag of the United States. When West Virginia, as an unconstitutional secession from Virginia, became the 35th state to join the USA on 20th of June in 1863, an USA flag would have been used at the ceremony, showing a square blue top corner with a five-pointed star formed from 35 white stars. Flags designed in this way were called the "Great Star Flag" and were used for a time due to their popularity, but also because the arrangement of the stars was not exactly predetermined at that time. West Virginia itself did not yet have an own flag at that point of time. The state seal with the motif described above was adopted on 26th of September in 1863. On 8th of January in 1864, the legislature decided that single-coloured blue flags with the main motif of the seal in the centre could be made as regimental flags for the Civil War. The first own state flag was introduced on 24th of February in 1905. It had an aspect ratio of 9:13 and showed (on the front), like today's flag, a plain white ground with a blue border and further three large rhododendron blossoms in the centre of the white field. The reverse of this flag showed the central element of the state seal, placed on a golden-bordered, almost round shield, with the name of the state in golden letters on a red banner below. On 25th of February in 1907, a new state flag was introduced, with an aspect ratio of 10:19 (like the flag of the USA), again white with a blue border, but the elements from the reverse of the previous flag were moved to the front and a new reverse was introduced. This was similar to the old front with the rhododendron, but a red banner with the name of the state appeared below it. This design was retained until the introduction of the current flag in 1929.
early times/antiqutiy · settlement by Indians (Powhatan, Nottaway, Meherrin, Monacan, Saponi)
1497 · the Spanish navigator Sebastian Cabot discoveres the coast
1584–1586 · the English sailor and adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh received from Queen Elizabeth I. the permission to found a colony on the coast of America
1585 · first attempt to establish an English settlement on the coast by Sir Walter Raleigh (Wocokom Island?)
1587–1590 · second attempt to establish an English settlement at the coast, on Roanoke Island, "Lost Colony" (in today's North Carolina)
26th of April 1607 · landing of settlers of the Virginia Company at Cape Henry under the leadership of Christopher Newport, Jamestown was founded just a little later
24th of May 1607 · founding of the colony of Virginia as a possession of the London Company, Capital: Jamestown
1612 · first planting of tobacco
24th of May 1624 · Virginia is a English Crown Colony
1699 · Williamsburg is capital
1726 · first european settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains (in today's West Virginia)
18th century · immigration of Germans
1775–1783 · War of Independence of the colonies against United Kingdom: 9th of December 1775 Battle of Great Bridge, expulsion of British troops
15th of May 1776 · Declaration of Independence
4th of July 1776 · declaration of Independence (of the USA), Virginia is one of 13 founding colonies
5th of July 1776 · proclamation of the Commonwealth of Virginia
1790 · Virginia recognizes the separation of Kentucky
1792 · Kentucky becomes the 15th state to join the USA
17th of April 1861 · Virginia declares its withdrawal from the USA, in consequence of Abraham Lincoln's request to US troops to invade the state of South Carolina
27th of April 1861 · the northwestern counties of Virginia declare the separation from Virginia and the remain as part of the USA (today's West Virginia)
June 1861 · the northwestern counties are occupied by troops of the USA
20th of August 1861 · the northwestern counties require the connection to the USA as "State of Kanawha"
26th of November 1861 · the northwestern counties rename the country to "West Virginia"
1861–1865 · Civil War, the country is the scene of many battles, until 1865 the north and east of the country is conquered by troops of the USA
31st of December 1862 · Abraham Lincoln, the President of the USA, breaks the constitution and calls on the north-western districts to appoint their own government in Alexandria, and in this way, and in breach of the constitution (there was no approval from Richmond), to achieve statehood and admit another state to the Union
20th of June 1863 · the northwestern districts become as West Virginia the 35th state of the USA, Capital: Wheeling
Virginia got its name given by the English sailor and colonist, Walter Raleigh, who received in 1584 by Queen Elizabeth I. the permission to found a colony on the coast of America. He wanted to honor the "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I. Once the name of Virginia, included much larger areas, the present states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and even Ohio. The name "West Virginia" describes the geographic location of the land, as an unconstitutional secession in western Virginia. The region was called the "Northwestern Districts" in the mid-19th century, and was called "Kanawha" for a few months in 1861.
