Why is VA a commonwealth & a dominion?Can't find anything. Also commonwealths are KY, MA & PA. What's it mean?

Question

I have always known that VA is a commonwealth and a dominion, but never knew what difference it made vs just being a state....

Answer 1

It functionally has very little difference as a normal "state". Commonwealth essentially means governing for the common good based on a consensus of the common people whereas a state gets its edict for governance based on a continuation from its time as a British colony.

There is no (federal) consitutional impact to being a commonwealth versus being a state.

Answer 2

. WHAT IS A COMMONWEALTH?


In reference to Pennsylvania, the word "commonwealth" is synonymous with "state." The term is of English derivation and implies a special devotion of the government to the common "weal," or the welfare of its citizens.
The colony of William Penn was known as the Quaker Commonwealth, and records show that those who framed the Pennsylvania constitutions from 1776 through 1878 continued this terminology. Interestingly, the state seal of Pennsylvania does not use the term, but as a matter of tradition it is the legal designation used in referring to the state.

7. HOW MANY COMMONWEALTHS ARE THERE IN THE UNITED STATES?


Four. In addition to Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia are also considered commonwealths.

Answer 3

No A commonwealth is an prepared political community the precise comparable element that a state is. while they grew to become area of the rustic, they simply took the previous sort of the be conscious state.

Answer 4

In this use of the term, there is no difference. It's purely a cosmetic title. A state is a state is a state, there are no different "categories".

Answer 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth