Commonweath vs. State

There are 4 commonwealths in the United States.  They are Virginia (yay), Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.  You can notice right away they're geographically eastern political territories and, generally speaking, older governments than most of the United States.  The only commonwealth not in the original 13 colonies was Kentucky, and they were at one point simply an extension of Virginia and kept commonwealth status when they gained their autonomy in 1790.

Legally, commonwealth = state under The Constitution.  So why make any distinction?  Most people don't.  Even residents of the commonwealth in which I live refer to this territory a state, and even I find it hard to remember, (but I do correct myself)!

I've found there are two reasons these 4 territories remain titled commonwealths.  First, these commonwealths have a tradition, a history, to uphold in their formation and foundation as political entities standing against tyranny and oppression.  There's a matter of pride and tradition involved in titles and historically significant events each of these governments hold.  Second, is an extension of the sentiment through the history of "the commonwealth."  Commonwealths are governments entirely devoted to the good of the people, often used interchangeably with the word republic, (keep in mind the United States is a democratic republic).  This, however, is in contrast to what is an acceptable determination of statehood.  Statehood is simply a governance of political community.  But, to what end?  Is it implied that the good of the people is the interest of the government?  I'll leave those questions to rumination.

Now, I'll address some perspectives that are bound to arise.  Is a commonwealth communist or socialist in nature?  No.  Could a communist government be a commonwealth?  Sure, (though probably not for long if history is any indication).

In other words, there's a difference between a state and a commonwealth.  It may not be a legal one, it may not be tangable in the basic sense, but commonwealth representatives are automatically held to a higher standard than other public officials.  They are responsible for good of the people, not simply entrusted with the governance or oversight like most governments.