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2023 Exhibit
West Virginia Day 2023 | West Virginia is a Fixed Fact: The Making of the 35th State
In 2023 we celebrated West Virginia's 160th birthday and explore the history of West Virginia statehood.
Speaker: Dr. Scott MacKenzie, author of
The Fifth Border State: Slavery, Emancipation, and the Formation of West Virginia,
1829-1872.
Dr. MacKenzie discussed how support for slavery influenced the founding of the state.
The program also included a short ceremony to present Forest "Jack" Bowman with
the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Historic Preservation
Award.