The newest registered user is mark5
Our users have posted a total of 48875 messages in 7225 subjects
WORLD CLOCK
What's the difference between a commonwealth and a state?
Valley of the Sun Casual Club :: WORDS , FACTS , DATES , GAMES & TRIVIA & HISTORY :: Merriam-Webster Words of the Week
What's the difference between a commonwealth and a state?
What's the difference between a commonwealth and a state?
Are Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia all that different from the rest?
When used to refer to U.S. states, there is no difference between a 'state' and a 'commonwealth.' The distinction is in name alone.
So why are they called commonwealths? Well, their constitutions simply deem them such. According to one commonwealth's web site (Massachusetts—the one in which Merriam-Webster is headquartered), the term commonwealth was preferred by a number of political writers in the years leading up to 1780, when the Massachusetts constitution officially designated the state as such; the preference is believed to have existed perhaps because there was "some anti-monarchial sentiment in using the word commonwealth."
That notion might seem strange to those familiar with another use of the word commonwealth. The Commonwealth with a capital C is an association of sovereign states consisting of Britain and a number of countries that were formerly under its rule. Membership in the Commonwealth is voluntary, and not restricted to former colonies; both Mozambique and Rwanda—the two most recent members to join—are members despite having no historical tie to the British Empire.
In addition to Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the United States has two other commonwealths, [url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Puerto Rico]Puerto Rico[/url] and the [url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Northern Mariana Islands]Northern Mariana Islands[/url], but they are of a different kind. They are not states, and have only a nonvoting representative in Congress. While residents of these islands have U.S. citizenship, they pay no federal income taxes, though they do pay other kinds of federal taxes.
» US TRIVIA QUIZ * Which state in the US declares the stegosaurus to be its state fossil? *
» US TRIVIA * Which U.S. state's nickname is "The Grand Canyon State"? *
» WISE TRIVIA ANSWER PAGE
» US TRIVIA ANSWER PAGE
Valley of the Sun Casual Club :: WORDS , FACTS , DATES , GAMES & TRIVIA & HISTORY :: Merriam-Webster Words of the Week
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Paul
» *POPULAR CONTENTS* Valley of the SUN Official Newsletter
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Paul
» WORD SMARTS * How Your Favorite Emojis Have Changed *
Mon 02 Dec 2024, 11:30 am by Paul
» Survivor Series: WarGames is almost here! Don't miss the action LIVE today only on Peacock!
Sat 30 Nov 2024, 3:10 pm by Paul
» WWE Universe: Your Survivor Series: WarGames Broadcast Schedule has arrived!
Fri 29 Nov 2024, 7:36 pm by Paul
» Annabelle 3rd Birthday
Fri 29 Nov 2024, 9:41 am by Paul
» UP & COMERS
Thu 28 Nov 2024, 8:34 am by Paul
» HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Thu 28 Nov 2024, 7:40 am by Paul
» Word Genius Word of the day * Hyponym *
Thu 28 Nov 2024, 7:34 am by Paul
» WORD SMARTS * What does “QR code” stand for? *
Wed 27 Nov 2024, 6:34 am by Paul
» INTERESTING FACTS * WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WIZARD OF OZ *
Sat 23 Nov 2024, 5:31 pm by Paul
» WGT POETRY , QUOTES , MOMENTS , & MORE
Thu 21 Nov 2024, 11:48 am by Paul
» Disneyland vacation
Tue 19 Nov 2024, 6:37 am by Paul
» Word Genius Word of the day * Spindrift *
Mon 18 Nov 2024, 6:45 am by Paul
» Tales of Miurag #3 in Paperback Patreon Story in December!
Mon 18 Nov 2024, 5:33 am by Paul