Commonwealth (United States)

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Commonwealth (United States)

Four of the constituent states

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a U.S. state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is normally included in the group of Southern United States , but it is uncommonly included, geographically and culturally, in the Midwestern United States....
, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
. This designation, which has no constitutional impact, emphasizes that they have 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

Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
. The word commonwealth in this context refers to the common "wealth" or welfare of the public and is an older term for 'republic

Republic

A republic is a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch but in which the people have an impact on its government. The word originates from the Latin term res publica....
' (cf. the 17th century Commonwealth of England

Commonwealth of England

The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first Kingdom of England and Wales, and then Kingdom of Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland from 1649 to 1660....
).

785, residents of Kentucky County began petitioning the Virginia

Virginia

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Encyclopedia

Four of the constituent states

U.S. state

United States

Kentucky

Massachusetts

Pennsylvania

Virginia

Kingdom of Great Britain

Republic

Commonwealth of England

The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first Kingdom of England and Wales, and then Kingdom of Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland from 1649 to 1660....
).

Commonwealth of Kentucky

In 1785, residents of Kentucky County began petitioning the Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
legislature for statehood. They wished the County to be recognized as a "free and independent state

State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
, to be known by the name of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Kentucky

Kentucky Constitution

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the document that governs the United States Kentucky. It was first adopted in 1792 and has since been rewritten three times and amended many more....
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.

Kentucky is the only state outside of the first thirteen

Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
that uses "Commonweatlh" in its name.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Constitution

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was drafted by John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin during the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention between September 1 and October 30, 1779....
. 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

John Adams

John Adams was an Politics of the United States and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States , after being the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States for two terms....
and ratified in 1780.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

The Seal of Pennsylvania

Seal of Pennsylvania

The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the Seals of the U.S. states for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Unlike most state seals, it has an obverse and a reverse....
does not use the term, but legal processes are in the name of the Commonwealth and it is a traditional official designation used in referring to the state. In 1776, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
'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.

Commonwealth of Virginia

The name "commonwealth of Virginia" dates back to its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
. Virginia

Virginia

Constitution of Virginia

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the document that defines and limits the powers of the state government and the basic rights of the citizens of the United States Commonwealth of Virginia....
(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

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia

The Secretary of the Commonwealth is a member of the Cabinet of the Governor of Virginia in the United States. The office is currently held by Katherine Hanley....
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." Additionally, the official title of the elected local prosecutor

Prosecutor

The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the Civil law inquisitorial system....
in each of Virginia's political subdivisions is the "Commonwealth's Attorney

Commonwealth's Attorney

Commonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes in Kentucky and Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney or State's Attorney....
," as opposed to State's Attorney

State's Attorney

In the United States, the State's Attorney is an appointed or elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit....
in other States or the more Standard District Attorney

District attorney

In many jurisdictions in the United States, a district attorney is the local public official who represents the government in the Prosecutor of alleged criminals....
.

In Virginia, the term State is now officially used, but usually in a compound structure

Compound (linguistics)

In linguistics, a compound is a lexeme that consists of more than one Word stem. Compounding or composition is the word-formation that creates compound lexemes ....
rather than as a stand-alone noun. This is evident in the name of the agency "Virginia State Corporation Commission" and in "Virginia State Police".

Commonwealth (United States)

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Commonwealth of Virginia

See also