Commonwealth of Kentucky
On September 28, 1786, the residents of Kentucky County began petitioning the Commonwealth of Virginia legislature for statehood. They wished the County to be recognized as a "free and independent state, to be known by the name of the Commonwealth of Kentucky." On June 1, 1792, Kentucky County officially became a state. The Constitution was changed as to the style for "all process and mandates" to "Commonwealth of Kentucky" in 1850; prior to that change "State of Kentucky" was used.
Kentucky is the only state outside of the first 13 that uses "Commonwealth" in its name (although at the time of independence it was a part of the Commonwealth of Virginia).
Read more about this topic: Commonwealth (U.S. State)
Famous quotes containing the words commonwealth of, commonwealth and/or kentucky:
“This little world, this little state, this little commonwealth of our own....”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)
“We must conceive of this whole universe as one commonwealth of which both gods and men are members.”
—Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)
“The head must bow, and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the darkey may go;
A few more days, and the trouble all will end,
In the field where the sugar-canes grow.
A few more days for to tote the weary load,—
No matter, ‘t will never be light;
A few more days till we totter on the road:—
Then my old Kentucky home, good-night!”
—Stephen Collins Foster (1826–1884)