Not only can a commonwealth be a state, but all of the commonwealths in the U.S. It’s been both a state and a commonwealth ever since, to the confusion of many! Can a Commonwealth be a State? In doing so, Pennsylvania officially became the second state in the U.S., right after Delaware. It wouldn’t become a state until Decem, when it ratified the U.S. Knowing this makes it somewhat surprising that Pennsylvania was actually a commonwealth before it was a state! Back when the United States was founded, and the nation’s leaders were still figuring things out, Pennsylvania was decided to be the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all the way back in 1776.Īs the United States had hardly even been established at this point, Pennsylvania was not a state yet and was technically only a commonwealth for a brief period of time. In reality, there isn’t much that differentiates a state and a commonwealth other than a title. Its meaning is simple: a commonwealth is any political community that’s focused on providing resources for all of its residents to thrive, a community that has a vision to maintain the “common good.” You’d hope that all states inherently care about this idea, but certain states like Pennsylvania were specifically designed to provide for all of their citizens. The term “commonwealth” is originally an English word and represents one of the marks left over by the United States’ former British rule. What does this mean for Pennsylvania and the other states that aren’t commonwealths, though? Its official title is “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” giving it an extra designation that most states don’t have. Pennsylvania: Both a State and a Commonwealth Why is Pennsylvania a commonwealth? How many other states are? We’ll explain everything you could ever want to know about commonwealths below. That might have helped you understand Pennsylvania’s status a little better, but you probably have even more questions now. Pennsylvania is also a state it just gets the extra title of commonwealth as well.
“Commonwealth” is basically a more traditional word for a state that is focused on taking care of all its residents, and Pennsylvania is an example of one. Pennsylvania, in particular, is often associated with commonwealths, and it isn’t always clear why or if it is one.
Living in some areas of the U.S., you might hear the term “commonwealth” get thrown around now and again, sometimes interchangeably with the more common word “state.” Those of us who haven’t been in a high school classroom for many years might see this word and scratch our heads, wondering what it means.
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