BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – As the nation looks ahead to its 250th birthday in 2026, a traveling exhibit about the state’s origins is already making the rounds. Born of Rebellion: West Virginia Statehood and the Civil War is the new flagship history exhibit from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the creators of the West Virginia Encyclopedia.

“This is a complete revitalization of an exhibit the Council first released in 2005, and toured again during the Sesquicentennial,” says the Council’s Program Officer Kyle Warmack. “The original was fantastic, but focused narrowly on the legal question of statehood. This time, we widen the lens to include a kaleidoscope of West Virginia perspectives. 2024 is the 50th anniversary of the Council’s founding, so it felt appropriate to return all the way to the state’s roots.”

One way to do that was by digging into the stories of individuals around the state. The exhibit’s section titles are drawn from the diary of Upshur County teenager Sirene Bunten, who was only 16 when West Virginia achieved statehood in 1863. “The original diary is part of West Virginia Wesleyan College’s collections,” notes Warmack. “Experiencing this history feels different when reading the inner observations of a young girl who loses two brothers to the war.” Other quotes and experiences were drawn from the recollections of soldiers and civilians across the state.

Born of Rebellion was made possible with funding from American Water and the NEH’s “A More Perfect Union” initiative, as well as support from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.

The Annie Merner Pfeiffer Library at West Virginia Wesleyan College will host the exhibit from Friday, Oct. 6 to Nov. 1, 2023, with a special kickoff event Friday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, Beth Rogers, Director of Library Services (rogers_e@wvwc.edu, 304.473.8601), or visit https://amplibrary.wvwc.edu/libraryhome.

Full tour information can be found at wvhumanities.org.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 50 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.