Why are states called commonwealth?

Why are states called commonwealth?

State vs Commonwealth The reason these states are called commonwealths is because when their constitutions were drafted, they referred to themselves as such. 17th century political philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke used the term to represent an organized political community.

What is the meaning of a commonwealth state?

Nowadays, a commonwealth has come to mean any government in which all people involved have a say, or a loose formation of nations with a shared loyalty. It is also the official designation of a few states including, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and some U.S. territories.

What makes a state or commonwealth?

The distinction is in name alone. The commonwealths are just like any other state in their politics and laws, and there is no difference in their relationship to the nation as a whole. When used to refer to U.S. states, there is no difference between a ‘state’ and a ‘commonwealth’. The distinction is in name alone.

What does it mean that Virginia is a commonwealth state?

Since 1776, Virginia has been a “commonwealth.” It associated with other colonies through a Continental Congress starting in 1775, and became part of a confederation with other former colonies in 1781. Virginia became one of the “united” states when the Constitution was ratified in 1788.

Why is PA a commonwealth and not a state?

When Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts became part of the United States, they merely took the old form of state in their title. Each of these states was also a former British Colony. Today, Commonwealth also means a political unit having local autonomy but voluntarily united with the United States.

Why is Virginia called a commonwealth and not a state?

During the American Revolution, the title “Commonwealth of Virginia” was used in the new state’s constitution. Unlike the word “state,” which can also mean a country, democratic or not, the term “commonwealth” emphasized that Virginia was founded to serve the common good of its people.

Why is Virginia called a commonwealth instead of a state?

6Why is Virginia called a commonwealth? When Virginia adopted its first constitution in 1776, the term commonwealth was reintroduced, most likely to emphasize that Virginia’s new government was based upon the sovereignty of the people united for the common good, or common weal.

Why Is Massachusetts a commonwealth and not a state?

Legally, Massachusetts is a commonwealth because the term is contained in the Constitution. In the era leading to 1780, a popular term for a whole body of people constituting a nation or state (also known as the body politic) was the word “Commonwealth.” This term was the preferred usage of some political writers.

What does it mean to be a Commonwealth State?

Commonwealth is a term used by four of the 50 states of the United States in their full official state names. ” Commonwealth ” is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The states, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia,…

What is the difference between Commonwealth and state?

The main difference between Commonwealth and State is that the Commonwealth refers the intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire while State refers to a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory, which is sovereign.

What are the 4 commonwealths?

There are four commonwealths in the United States: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

What are the five Commonwealth states?

Officially Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts are all commonwealths. This means that their full state names are actually “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” and so on.