Most People Don't Know West Virginia Almost Became A State During The Revolutionary War

It was first proposed as a name for a new British Colony in the Americas. If it had been approved by the British Crown, Vandalia would have become the 14th Colony.

Wondering how they arrived at the name, "Vandalia?" It's believed to have been an effort to flatter the British queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz who was thought to have been a descendant of Vandalic tribesmen. Vandalia would have been comprised of most of what is now West Virginia and parts of Kentucky, as small portion of PA. But, alas, the efforts to form the 14th Colony were thwarted by the start of the American Revolution. The pitch made to the British Crown was set aside in lieu of the new war.

Sounds like (fill in the blank). If you filled in "Pennsylvania," then you're right on the money. Part of Pennsylvania's southwestern region was included in the proposal first drawn up during the American Revolution, but not officially proposed until after the conclusion of the war. In the summer of 1776, folks who had gotten ahead of themselves with excitement about the new Vandalia colony and had already relocated and begun to build their lives in the new (but never approved) 14th Colony, formed a group that still wanted to have their own state. After the conclusion of the American Revolution, Westylvania would have been the 14th state in the newly formed United States.

Eventually, after much debate and unsettled business, Pennsylvania and Virginia argued over division of many of the counties that were to become Westylvania. In the end, many of the Virginians who had chosen to move west to live in the newly proposed Westylvania actually ended up living in Pennsylvania!

Tensions grew so high during the unrest, as Westylvanians insisted upon calling themselves as such, the government stepped in and declared any recognition of Westylvania would be considered treason against the United States and subject to the death penalty.