All About the Commonwealth
1. There is no difference, legally or constitutionally, between a Commonwealth and a State in the USA.
2. There are 4 commonwealths in the US: Virgina, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Massachusetts.
3. This means the full name is actually The Commonwealth of Virginia, not simply Virginia. Same with the other three states.
4. There is a Virginia State University and a Virginia Commonwealth University. Two different places.
5. In the 17th century, "commonwealth" meant an organized political community. Today, we call that a state.
6. The term "commonwealth" was preferred by a number of political writers in the years leading up to 1780, so states that still use this are old school.
7. Each of the commonwealths in the US were once British colonies. Putting "commonwealth" in the state title meant the government was now ruled by a collection of its citizenry, not the English crown.
8. During the American Revolution, the colonies of Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania declared themselves commonwealths.
9. Kentucky was part of Virginia during the American Revolution. In 1790 when it separated from Virginia, Kentucky chose to retain the commonwealth moniker.
10. Today, "commonwealth" means a political unit having local autonomy, but voluntarily affiliated with the United States, i.e., Puerto Rico and the Northern Marina Islands.
11. Puerto Rico has no vote in the US Congress, just like Washington, D.C. They have representatives there, but those representatives have no vote.
12. They also do not vote for president of the US.
13. The Commonwealth with a capital C is an association of sovereign states consisting of Britain and a number of countries that were formerly under its rule. Membership in the Commonwealth is voluntary, and not restricted to former colonies; both Mozambique and Rwanda—the two most recent members to join—are members despite having no historical tie to the British Empire.
Now, think about the word itself - or the two words that make it up. Common, meaning everyday (us poor folk), and wealth, meaning whatever goods/etc. one considers to be wealth. A commonwealth, then, is made up of all of the citizenry and their wealth.
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I never knew why VA was a commonwealth and don't remember knowing that MA was one too. I've lived in 2 of the 4.
ReplyDeleteI like your final reasoning. There is so much in a name, if we look. I had no idea Kentucky was a commonwealth--thanks for the history lesson.
ReplyDeleteThis was interesting. I live in the Commonwealth of PA, but never knew any of this.
ReplyDeletecool facts about the commonwealth and the Commonwealth too.. did not pay attention to the word itself until you pointed it out.. :)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea. Now, I prefer thinking of living in a commonwealth rather than a state.
ReplyDeleteThat was very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI don't get the people of Puerto Rico who don't clammer for statehood. It must feel like living in apartment without having your name on the lease.
ReplyDelete