What is a commonwealth?

The United States is made up of 50 states, yet four of them — Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky — are officially referred to as commonwealths.

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Why Are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky Called Commonwealths?

U.S. History

T he United States is made up of 50 states, yet four of them — Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky — are officially referred to as commonwealths. The word is frequently associated with Great Britain and its ongoing alignment with many countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. But in the U.S., which was also once under British rule, the term has a somewhat different meaning. 

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