Commonwealth ( U.S. State ) - wikipedia Commonwealth ( U.S. State ) This article is about a nomenclature of U.S. states. For U.S. insular areas designated as `` Commonwealths '', see Commonwealth ( U.S. insular area ). For other uses, see Commonwealth. Main article : U.S. state A map of the United States, showing the four states that refer to themselves as a `` commonwealth '' in red. Administrative divisions of the United States First level State Federal district Territory ( Commonwealth ) Indian reservation ( List ) / Hawaiian home land / Alaska Native tribal entity / Pueblo / Off - reservation trust land Second level County / Parish / Borough Unorganized Borough / Census area / Villages / District ( USVI ) / District ( AS ) Consolidated city - county Independent city Municipality Unorganized atoll State - recognized tribes Third level Cities, towns, and villages Civil township Coterminous municipality Survey township Barrio Chapter Fourth level Ward Other areas Protected areas ( Conservation district, National Monument, National parks ) Congressional district Homeowner association Associated state Military base Federal enclave Unincorporated area Ghost town Commonwealth is a designation used by four of the 50 states of the United States in their full official state names : the Commonwealth of Kentucky ( the law creating Kentucky names it the `` State of Kentucky, '' but it was originally part of the land grant of the Colony of Virginia ), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each was, prior to 1776, a British colony, or parts thereof, and share a strong influence of English common law in some of their laws and institutions. The term `` Commonwealth '' does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by a state. Those that do use it are equal to those that do not. A traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good, it is used symbolically to emphasize that these states have a `` government based on the common consent of the people '' as opposed to one legitimized through their earlier colonial status that was derived from the British crown. It refers to the common `` wealth '', or welfare, of the public and is derived from a loose translation of the Latin term res publica. Criminal charges in these four states are brought in the name of the `` Commonwealth ''. Besides the four aforementioned states, other states have also, on occasion, used the term `` commonwealth '' to refer to themselves : Vermont uses the term `` commonwealth '' three times in its constitution, interchangeably with the term `` state ''. Delaware was primarily referred to as a `` State '' in its 1776 constitution, however, the term `` Commonwealth '' was also used in one of its articles. Two U.S. territories are also designated as commonwealths : Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. When used in connection with areas under U.S. sovereignty that are not states, the term broadly describes an area that is self - governing under a constitution of its own adoption and whose right of self - government will not be unilaterally withdrawn by the United States Congress. Contents 1 Commonwealth of Kentucky 2 Commonwealth of Massachusetts 3 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 Commonwealth of Virginia 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References Commonwealth of Kentucky Flag of Kentucky On September 28, 1786, the residents of Kentucky County began petitioning the Virginia legislature for permission to become a `` free and independent state, to be known by the name of the Commonwealth of Kentucky ''. On June 1, 1792, Kentucky County officially became a state. As in Virginia, the official title of the elected local prosecutor in each of Kentucky 's political subdivisions is the `` Commonwealth 's Attorney, '' as opposed to State 's Attorney in other States or the more standard District Attorney. Kentucky is the only state outside of the first 13 that uses commonwealth in its name. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Flag of Massachusetts 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. In Massachusetts, the term State is occasionally used in an official manner, but usually in a compound structure rather than as a stand - alone noun. This is evident in the name of the agency `` Massachusetts State Police, '' the Massachusetts State House and in `` Bridgewater State Hospital ''. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Flag of Pennsylvania The Seal of Pennsylvania 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 '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 1958. One of Pennsylvania 's two intermediate appellate courts is called the `` Commonwealth Court ''. Commonwealth of Virginia Flag of Virginia The name `` Commonwealth of Virginia '' dates back to its independence from the Kingdom of 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 test 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 ''. Additionally, the official title of the elected local prosecutor in each of Virginia 's political subdivisions is the `` Commonwealth 's Attorney '', as opposed to State 's Attorney in other States or the more standard District Attorney. In Virginia, the term State is sometimes used in an official manner, but usually in a compound structure 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 '', and as in the name of `` Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ''. The state university in Richmond is known as `` Virginia Commonwealth University '' ; there is also a `` Virginia State University '', located in Ettrick. See also Crown colony Proprietary colony Notes Jump up ^ cf. the 17th - century Commonwealth of England. Jump up ^ Note that In California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and New York, criminal charges are brought in the name of the `` People ''. In all the other states, they are brought in the name of the `` State ''. Regardless of state, federal criminal charges are always brought in the name of the `` United States of America ''. Jump up ^ 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. References Jump up ^ Third Constitution of Kentucky ( 1850 ), Article 2, Section 1 ff. Other portions of the same Constitution refer to the `` State of Kentucky ''. Jump up ^ United States Congress. `` Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America ''. Statutes at Large : 1st Congress. p. 189. Retrieved June 4, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ''. Preamble of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Court. Retrieved 27 October 2016., Jump up ^ Constitution of Pennsylvania, Preamble, Jump up ^ The Hornbook of Virginia History, 4th ed., page 88. Jump up ^ Paul Reinsch. English Common Law in the Early American colonies. Ph. D. thesis. Un. of Wisconsin. 1898. Jump up ^ William E. Nelson. The Common Law in Colonial America. Vol. I. Oxford University Press. 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` 7 fam 1120 Acquisition of U.S. Nationality in U.S. Territories and Possessions '' ( PDF ). U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual Volume 7 - Consular Affairs. U.S. Department of State. January 3, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2015. Jump up ^ See `` Commonwealth '', The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001 -- 07. Jump up ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000. Jump up ^ The Constitution of the State of Vermont, Chapter II, § § 1, 8, and 71. Jump up ^ Constitution of Delaware ( 1776 ), Art. 23. Jump up ^ CIS : State Symbols Jump up ^ PHMC : Pennsylvania History Archived April 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` History of DOS '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2012 - 01 - 04. United States Census geography Regional Region Division State District of Columbia Puerto Rico Insular area American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Virgin Islands ZIP Code tabulation area Native areas Legal Alaska Native Regional Corporation American Indian reservation list American Indian tribal subdivision Hawaiian home land Off - reservation trust land Statistical Alaska Native village statistical area Oklahoma tribal statistical area Joint - use area State designated tribal statistical areas Tribal designated statistical area Metropolitan Primary statistical area ( 574 PSAs ) Combined statistical area ( 169 CSAs ) Core - based statistical area ( 929 CBSAs ) Metropolitan statistical area ( 388 MSAs ) Micropolitan statistical area ( 541 μSAs ) New England city and town area Urban area ( 497 urbanized areas and urban clusters ) State - level Congressional district County 3142 counties and equivalents Alaska census area Independent city Municipio Place Census - designated Public use microdata area School district lists State legislative district Urban growth area County - level Census county division Minor civil division Traffic analysis zone Voting district Local Block Block group Tract Census Bureau Office of Management and Budget Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commonwealth_(U.S._state)&oldid=800188135 '' Categories : Forms of government Government of Kentucky Government of Massachusetts Government of Pennsylvania Government of Virginia Subdivisions of the United States Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Română தமிழ் اردو Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 12 September 2017, at 00 : 20. 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Question: what is a commonwealth in the united states
Answer: these states have a "government based on the common consent of the people"[9] as opposed to one legitimized through their earlier colonial status that was derived from the British crown