Frequently the term “Commonwealth” is used to refer to Kentucky. What is a Commonwealth?
According to The Historical Atlas of Kentucky & Her Counties, by Wendell H. Rone, Sr., the two designations “Commonwealth” and “State” were synonymous in the late 1700s. The Historical Atlas states: “The term Commonwealth goes back to the time of Oliver Cromwell when he created the Commonwealth of States or Colonies of Great Britain. ‘Commonweal’-for the good of all-was the meaning implied. Virginia, Massachusetts, & Pennsylvania were Commonwealths of Great Britain. A Commonwealth in America is a State having its immediate outgrowth from one of the original Colonies.” In his article in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, Ron Bryant states: “Commonwealth is a part of the official name of Kentucky, as decided by the first Assembly on June 4, 1792…The first use of the word commonwealth in official documents regarding Kentucky occurred in 1785, when the inhabitants of the Kentucky District petitioned Virginia to recognize Kentucky as a ‘free and independent state, to be known by the name of the ‘Co
