During colonial times, the state was officially known as the ‘Colony and Dominion of Virginia’. ★ However, Virginia, did not adopt the term until the onset of the Revolutionary War. Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. In modern times, the term commonwealth also refers to ‘a political unit having local political independence but voluntarily united with the U.S.’ e.g. Four of the 50 states link themselves back to the memories of colonial times and prefer to distinguish themselves by calling themselves ‘commonwealths.’ When they joined the United States, they preferred sticking to the old term instead of using ‘state’ as their title. In modern terms it refers to a state or nation governed for the common good, rather than an aristocratic class of people.ĭuring the colonial rule, several English colonies started to reaffirm their independence which eventually led to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States of America. The term ‘commonwealth,’ dates back to the 15th century, derived from the old English term ‘weal’ implying ‘wealth’ or ‘well-being.’ The term became popular during the time of monarchy when people wanted to break free from the traditional monarchic rules and limit the powers of the kings. British Liberal Party politician Lord Rosebery publicly popularized the term Commonwealth during a famous speech in 1884, in Adelaide, Australia when he referred to the British Empire as a Commonwealth of Nations.

What states are commonwealth states