Which event is considered the starting point of the statehood movement in West Virginia?

The Wheeling Conventions are recognized as the starting point of the statehood movement in West Virginia because they were pivotal gatherings where the residents of the northwestern counties of Virginia convened to discuss their desire for separation from Virginia during the Civil War. The first convention took place in 1861, and it showcased the sentiment among these counties that they wanted to form a new state due to political and social differences, particularly regarding slavery and the war.

During these conventions, delegates formulated plans for a new state and ultimately took action that led to the creation of West Virginia as a separate state. This organized effort and clear declaration of intent at the Wheeling Conventions marked the formal beginning of the statehood movement, setting in motion the legal and political processes that ultimately resulted in West Virginia’s admission to the Union in 1863.

The other events mentioned, while significant in their own right, do not specifically represent the formal initiation of the movement for statehood. The Charleston Conference involved discussions among Virginia leaders, the Emancipation Proclamation was a national policy that pertained more broadly to slavery, and the Battle of Harpers Ferry was a critical military engagement rather than a political assembly focused on statehood.