The War Within the War — the Battle to Form West Virginia
The War tore apart not only Northern and Southern States, but also the state of Virginia. How did that happen? Who led the movement to secede from the secessionists? What steps did the western pro-union mountaineers take to carve out a new state? Was it “constitutional”? In this talk, you’ll learn about the clever leaders, their secession conventions, as well as some of the political, and actual battles, that pitted west vs. east within the state of Virginia.

Dr. Dave Schrader
Dr. Dave Schrader has been giving CWRT talks to Los Angeles audiences since 2013. He is particularly fascinated by “the rest of the story” – for example, the activities of support organizations such as the Signal Corps, the Commissary Corps and the Quartermaster Corps, who often played major but behind-the scene roles in the abilities of generals and presidents to achieve their goals. Or people like Lincoln’s Secretaries or his Ambassadors that played a pivotal role in supporting the President and his policies. Or the Fire-Eaters who drummed up support for secession in the south while the Abolitionists were busy motivating people in the North. Most of his talks are interactive so be prepared for audience participation!