VA-HIST Archives

Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history

VA-HIST@LISTLVA.LIB.VA.US

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Condense Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Sender:
Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 23 May 2008 11:52:15 -0500
Reply-To:
Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:
MIME-Version:
1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding:
7bit
In-Reply-To:
Content-Type:
text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
From:
Leslie Morales <[log in to unmask]>
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (69 lines)
THE HORNBOOK OF VIRIGINIA HISTORY, 4th edition
Emily J Salmon & Edward D C Campbell, Jr (eds)

"A commonwealth is 'a state in which the supreme power is vested in the 
people.'  The term as an official designation was first used in Virginia 
during the Interregnum (1649-1660), the period between the reigns of 
Charles I and Charles II during which Parliament's Oliver Cromwell as 
Lord Protector established a republican government known as the 
Commonwealth of England.  Virginia became a royal colony again in 1660, 
and the word commonwealth was dropped from the governor's full title.  
When Virginia adopted its first constitution in 1776, the term 
commonwealth was reintroduced, most of the people united for the common 
good, or common weal.  The designation commonwealth of Virginia has been 
used in official records ever since.  Three states besides Virginia 
adopted the appellation commonwealth: Kentucky, Massachusetts, and 
Pennsylvania." (page 88)



Leslie Anderson Morales
Reference Librarian
Special Collections
Alexandria Library
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA  22314-2420
(703) 838-4577 x213
http://www.alexandria.lib.va.us/branches/lhsc.html






[log in to unmask] wrote:

>I've often wondered about this -- why are VA, PA, MA, and KY commonwealths and the rest of the states of the union are states?
>I'm assuming KY inherited its commonwealth-ness from VA.
>
>I was looking at the early laws of Virginia -- the titles go from "In the 12th year of King George III" to "Interregnum" -- in 1775 -- well before the actual death of George III -- but surely after the battles of Lexington and Concord -- to "In the first year of the commonwealth."  So the laws of Virginia actually predate statehood.  
>
>Maybe Maryland's laws predate statehood, but there is no such title at the top of each page...http://www.aomol.net/html/legislative.html
>
>Neither is there a title at the top of each page of North Carolina's laws (see google books -- link is too long).
>
>Joe McCollum 
>Information Technology Specialist
>Forest Inventory and Analysis
>Knoxville, TN  37919
>
>
>
>
>_____________________________________________________________
>Click here to find all of your computer accessories for less!
>http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2111/fc/Ioyw6iifZCJG619uBn4CaqHSy8c1er8QgpyHCe4fvIXotDtd3C3g4a/?count=1234567890
>
>______________________________________
>To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
>http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
>
>
>  
>

______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2


LISTLVA.LIB.VA.US