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What is a Commonwealth? (ie. Kentucky)?

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What is a Commonwealth? (ie. Kentucky)?

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Commonwealth of Kentucky
~~ Kentucky is one of four states to call itself a "commonwealth."
In 1792 when Kentucky became the 15th state (the first on the western frontier) both "commonwealth" and "state" were used.

~~ Commonwealth, meaning government based on the common consent of the people, dates to the time of Oliver Cromwell's England in the mid-1600s.

~~ The other U.S. commonwealths, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, were originally British colonies.
Kentucky, once part of Virginia, chose to remain a commonwealth when it separated from Virginia.

I found this for you at:
http://travel.ky.gov/about/facts/symbols...

~~ Just like Australia, we too, are a Commonwealth of the British.
Though many Aussies think that should be changed and if we ever held a referendum we could have our say!

Others
I've been living in a Commonwealth (Pennsylvania) all of my life. If there is a difference between it and a state, I don't know what it is. It is just a long, hard to spell word as far as I am concerned. We are the fifty states, not the 46 states and 4 Commonwealths. Mass. and Virginia are the others that I know about.