In 1794，President Washington personally led federal troops into western Pennsylvania．Washington’s actions united settlers on the western frontier，including present－day West Virginia，against the power of a strong central government．Over the next seventy years，western Virginians continued to struggle against their state government which they felt did not truly represent their interests
By 1860，great contention had grown between west and east counties in Virginia．Huge disputes developed over issues such as slavery，taxation（课税），education，and equal representation within their government．In 1861，Virginia seceded（正式脱离或退出）from the Union and the Civil War began．When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861，the residents of the western counties，few of whom owned slaves，decided to stay with the Union．“Mountaineers always freemen”is the state’s motto．They voted to break away from Virginia and form their own government．West Virginia became the 35th state on June 20，1863．
During the late 1800s，railroads expanded throughout the state．With new advanced technology，lumber and coal production increased dramatically．New industries such as chemical，glass，and steel moved into the state to use the huge amounts of（大量的）natural gas produced there．
Much of West Virginia’s population worked in coal mines during the early 1900s．The work was dangerous and accidents killed hundreds of miners．In 1902，the United Mine Workers labor union organized several miners and demanded safer working conditions，shorter work hours，and better wages．Deadly fights often broke out between mine owners and union members，which ended for a short time under military law（军法）．In 1933，the National Recovery Administration was established．It protected union members and helped to bring about the needed changes within the mines．Despite these reforms，many workers left West Virginia from the 1940s to the 1970s in search of better economic opportunities．
A trend of increased retirement to West Virginia in the 1980s resulted in renewed population growth for the state．The wealth of natural resources attracted retirees to West Virginia，which is the state highest in elevation（海拔）east of the Mississippi and is part of the Appalachian Mountain system．Forest forms approximately three－fourths of the state，while farms cover many of the ridges（山脉）and fertile valley bottoms．West Virginia boasts thirty－three state parks，and is considered one of the best spots in the world for white water rafting，which constitutes an important part of the state’s growing tourist industry．
Governor州长
Joe Manchin III是西弗吉尼亚州第34任州长。他在西弗吉尼亚的法明顿的小煤镇上长大。在那里他很小就学会了责任的价值——不仅对家庭，而且对社会还要对领国负责任。他从他祖父遗传得到了商业的头脑，从他祖母遗传得到了为人民服务的美德。这些都为他成为州长做了准备。
Joe Manchin III is West Virginia’s 34th Governor．He was born and raised in the little coal town of Farmington，West Virginia where he learned at a very young age the value of commitment—commitment not only to his family，but to his community and neighbors as well．From his grandfather，an immigrant from Italy and the town grocer（食品商），he inherited a head for business，while from his grandmother，a virtual one－woman social services agency，he discovered his heart for people．
After attending West Virginia University on a football scholarship，he became a successful businessman．As a member of the legislature from 1982－1996，he earned a reputation for standing up for West Virginians to improve our schools，protect our veterans（老兵，退伍军人）and senior citizens，and create jobs．Under his leadership as Secretary of State from 2000－2004，the office became known for providing excellent customer service．In addition，its SHARES program promoted democracy to all schoolchildren and registered 42，000high school students to vote．Subsequently（后来），the 2004General Election saw the highest number of West Virginians cast a vote since 1972．
Never forgetting his family’s commitment to their local community，he also served from 2000to 2004as president of the Marion County Rescue Squad．
As Governor，Joe Manchin is taking responsibility for improving our state’s economic climate so that we can retain and create good paying jobs with health care benefits for our state’s workforce and reduce West Virginia’s long－term debt．He is also committed to making affordable and accessible health care available to our citizens，a seamless education system for our children，prescription drug（须医师处方才可买的药品）assistance for our seniors，and a better support structure for our veterans．
Under his leadership，West Virginia has become “Open for Business”．Working with the legislature，he has fixed the state’s workers’compensation system，instituted insurance reforms，established the first comprehensive teacher pay package in over 15years，decreased the state’s debt，strengthened its ethics laws and reduced the food tax．He has also pledged to cap the state’s gas tax in 2006so as not to put an additional burden upon the citizens and families of our state during this time of skyrocketing（流星焰火）gas prices．
Put simply，Governor Manchin believes that the people of West Virginia expect and deserve a Governor who works hard every day to make things better for our state and who uses common sense to remove any barriers standing in the way of our economic development and our children’s future．However，he also acknowledges（承认）that he can’t achieve success alone －it will take all West Virginians working together to achieve real and lasting change．That is why he is known throughout the state as a team builder who encourages cooperation and values all input（输入）．
He has quickly become a leader on the national scene as well．During just his first year in office he has already been named as Chairman of the National Governor’s Association Committee on Natural Resources，Chairman－Elect of the Southern States Energy Board，Vice－Chair of the Democratic Governor’s Association and 2nd Vice Chair of the Southern Governor’s Association．