Knepper Lecture: West Virginia's War

About the lecture Drawing on his research into West Virginia and the Civil War, Dr. William Kerrigan will present "Winning West Virginia: Identity, Allegiance and Slavery in the Creation of the 35th State." The lecture will explore how regional identity, political allegiance and slavery shaped West Virginia's separation from Virginia and admission to the Union in 1863. Kerrigan is the author of West Virginia's War: The Civil War in Documents, published in 2025, and Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard, published in 2012.About the George W. Knepper Lecture The George W. Knepper Lecture was established in 1994 to honor Dr. George W. Knepper, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at The University of Akron and a noted scholar of Ohio history. The endowed lecture series, established through a gift from Arnold and Jill Bellowe, brings speakers to UA to explore topics in American history.