Current Events > Question for Americans: Why are these four states "Commonwealths"?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Kentucky,
Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania,
Virginia.

Are they not states? Why are they commonwealths? When i think commonwealth, i think Canada/New Zealand/etc to the British Crown.

commonwealth
noun
com mon wealth k-mn-welth

1
: a nation, state, or other political unit: such as
a : one founded on law and united by compact or tacit agreement of the people for the common good
b : one in which supreme authority is vested in the people
c : republic
2
: a state of the U.S.
used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia
3
often capitalized : a political unit having local autonomy but voluntarily united with the U.S.
used officially of Puerto Rico and of the Northern Mariana Islands
4
often capitalized : an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (as to the British crown)

thanks

anyways, on with the topic! i want answers, i am aware of webster.com.

I don't think most Americans even know that fact, much less any reason for it.

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/08/whats-in-a-name-the-four-u-s-states-that-are-technically-commonwealths/

To put it simply, it's because those 4 are referred to as commonwealths in their state constitution. It was just a popular word during that time period to describe a representative democracy. The same way that the word 'republic' is used in the pledge of allegiance.

C_Pain posted...

I don't think most Americans even know that fact, much less any reason for it.

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/08/whats-in-a-name-the-four-u-s-states-that-are-technically-commonwealths/

i sure didn't, i literally just learned it

Nox Obscuras comes through with the answer i was looking for (as far as i can tell, that could be all BS). And that's what the source i heard this from essentially said, but they basically said "i don't know, it was just another way of saying state".

Naysaspace posted...

Kentucky,
Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania,
Virginia.

Are they not states? Why are they commonwealths? When i think commonwealth, i think Canada/New Zealand/etc to the British Crown.

Britain can have those states back

Naysaspace posted...

Canada/New Zealand/etc to the British Crown.

You know what shits me real bad as a Commonwealth member? That we can't just travel to other Commonwealth countries like they can in the EU or even between Australia and New Zealand.

I suspect it's to keep the blacks, browns and asians out though.

NoxObscuras posted...

To put it simply, it's because those 4 are referred to as commonwealths in their state constitution. It was just a popular word during that time period to describe a representative democracy. The same way that the word 'republic' is used in the pledge of allegiance.

Republic is used in the pledge because the USA is a democratic republic.

A lot of these things are just old names nobody bothered to change on the paperwork but nobody uses them either. Like nobody actually says "Rhode Island and Providence Plantation"

xGhostchantx posted...

You know what shits me real bad as a Commonwealth member? That we can't just travel to other Commonwealth countries like they can in the EU or even between Australia and New Zealand.

I suspect it's to keep the blacks, browns and asians out though.

never thought about that. but yeah. doesnt make sense. i guess it proves further that its a completely symbolic designation.

and Canada/NZ are like allies too. But its a struggle to go between, to like live and work, unless you have a company sponsor or are a student. To go n your own after the age of 30 is basically impossible without being an illegal.

Tyranthraxus posted...

A lot of these things are just old names nobody bothered to change on the paperwork but nobody uses them either. Like nobody actually says "Rhode Island and Providence Plantation"

lol

learned something new tonite

"providence plantation". I wonder what era THAT dates back to....?

Naysaspace posted...

Kentucky,
Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania,
Virginia.

Are they not states? Why are they commonwealths? When i think commonwealth, i think Canada/New Zealand/etc to the British Crown.

Commonwealths is just a fancy, old-timey word for state.

xGhostchantx posted...

between Australia and New Zealand

People in Australia and New Zealand have free passage back and forth and can live and work in either permanently with no visa. Australians in NZ get 100% the same benefits as kiwis, but kiwis in Australia don't get free health care or other benefits unless they get citizenship.

Naysaspace posted...

lol

learned something new tonite

"providence plantation". I wonder what era THAT dates back to....?

The early/mid 1600's, before slave plantations as we know them today even existed. It was just another word for colony or plot of land, probably chosen for alliteration.
There were never slave plantations in Rhode Island, and in fact the portion of the state that was "Providence Plantations" (basically the mainland) outlawed slavery and was one of the first English colonies to do so. The "Rhode Island" (which is the island Newport is on) portion of the now-combined state did engage in the slave trade to buy molasses and sell rum.
So when dumb fuck activists lobbied to remove the "Providence Plantations" from the state name and leave it just Rhode Island, they were actively fighting to remove the part of the state name dedicated to a staunch abolitionist and leave only the portion that came from areas that profited from slavery. Because the word made them feel bad.
History is important.