Everything about Commonwealth United States totally explained
Four of the constituent
states of the
United States officially designate themselves
Commonwealths:
Kentucky,
Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, and
Virginia. This designation, which has no constitutional impact, emphasizes that they've a "government based on the common consent of the people" as opposed to one legitimized through their earlier
Royal Colony status that was derived from the King of
Great Britain. The word
commonwealth in this context refers to the common "wealth" or welfare of the public and is an older term for '
republic' (Cf. the 17th century
Commonwealth of England). In common parlance, people don't make the distinction between
state or
commonwealth.
In
1785, residents of
Kentucky County began petitioning the
Virginia legislature for statehood. They wished the County to be recognized as a "free and
independent state, to be known by the name of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky." On
June 4,
1792,
Kentucky County, Kentucky officially became a state. The
Constitution was changed as to the style for "all process and mandates" to "Commonwealth of Kentucky" in
1850; prior to that change "State of Kentucky" was used.
Massachusetts is officially named "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts" by its
constitution. The name "
State of Massachusetts Bay" was used in all acts and resolves up to 1780 and the first draft of the constitution. The current name can be traced to the second draft of the state constitution, which was written by
John Adams and ratified in
1780.
The
Seal of Pennsylvania doesn't use the term, but legal processes are in the name of the Commonwealth and it's a traditional official designation used in referring to the state. In 1776, Pennsylvania's first state constitution referred to it as both "Commonwealth" and "State", a pattern of usage that was perpetuated in the constitutions of 1790, 1838, 1874 and 1968.
A detailed history describing the origins of Pennsylvania's government, including its designation as a commonwealth from colonial times, is available from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office.
The name "Commonwealth of Virginia" dates back to its independence from
Great Britain. Virginia's first
constitution (adopted on
June 29,
1776) directed that "Commissions and Grants shall run, In the Name of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and bear taste by the Governor with the Seal of the Commonwealth annexed." The
Secretary of the Commonwealth still issues commissions in this manner. Among other references, the constitution furthermore dictated that criminal indictments were to conclude "against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth."
In Virginia, the term "state" is also officially used, but usually as an adjective rather than a noun. This is evident in the name of the agency "Virginia State Corporation Commission," and also in "Virginia State Police."
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